


Juxtaposition

by good_joi



Series: Sandayu Oda [1]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cultural Differences, Drama, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied Relationships, Language Barrier, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Game, Rival Relationship, Rivalry, Slow Burn, Substance Abuse, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:42:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 63,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29190999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_joi/pseuds/good_joi
Summary: After extensive surgery and rehabilitation, V has reclaimed something of a life... Unfortunately, her new life is carved and sculpted for her by Arasaka. Observe V as she departs from Night City and experiences life in Japan under the watchful eye of the Arasaka Corporation.Author note: I find the lack of Sandayu Oda content upsetting. No one's going to write Oda/V? Fine, I'll do it myself. Eventual Sandayu content, implied Takemura stuff. (Constant work in progress, title may change later. New to Ao3, not new to fanfiction.)
Relationships: Sandayu Oda/Female V
Series: Sandayu Oda [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143146
Comments: 132
Kudos: 244





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to avoid mentioning origins of V, primarily because I feel it limits what this V could respond with. I'm also trying to avoid definitive characteristics and descriptions of V, simply for the sake of inserting your own imaginary V in place of this one. I'm going to try to be consistent with being vague, but no guarantees.
> 
> Most of this was written to Green Tea, an album by Samurai.

There he lies, helpless and breathless.

A blade at hand, grip tight… V’s arm feels heavy. Slender shoulders sag once her feet stop a shy distance away from the defeated cyberninja. The victor looks down with cold indifference at the man whom she would soon slay. Panting quietly, she placed her boot firmly on his chest and raised her katana, evening her breaths as she prepared to perform a fatal blow.

The holo rings.

Takemura’s name appears in her visual.

Naturally, she answers without thought--

“V!”

“I managed… to…”

“Oda? Is he alive?”

Wouldn’t it be something? Wouldn’t she be such a legend if she slew Hanako’s personal guard dog? Trained and groomed to be the best, without a doubt. He had to be the best, second to Takemura. V did not perform the killing blow, slowly lowering her hands back down as she looked upon the violent-red visor that she had shattered.

“For now…” The mercenary lowered down, applying more pressure to Oda’s chest. She could hear him breathing, gasping for air as the weight brought him agony. V reached for the visor with her spare hand and pried it until it surrendered from his armor.

“Please, V. Show him mercy…”

“Would he do the same for me?” The question puts Takemura to shameful silence. With the visor removed, V was certain that Oda’s rasps and gasps for air could be picked up on the holo’s audio.

The pale face is exposed, partly. Dark silky hair obscures him. The visor is simply discarded like rubbish and she lowered further, adjusting so the weight is lifted from his chest. She remains crouched over him like a vulture, savoring the view of a skilled agent, a powerful modern warrior, forced into submission.

Gently, she stowed away her katana, “Alright, Takemura. Have it your way…”

“... There should be nothing standing in your way now. We press forward.” The call ends and V is left to the silence, but she can’t linger long.

There is a stark contrast between these two cultures; Even if V could correct her dialect and posture, she would never really be like them. Could spend years trying to walk their walk, talk their talk, but it’s the subtle things that can’t be unlearned.

This, V grew up knowing and understanding. She made peace with her reality long ago. Traditionalism was lame anyway. This lifestyle is far more preferable.

Oda and Takemura clung to their traditions.

“You and your sick sense of honor...” Words passive but venomous, she stood fully and made for the door.

**Transition**

“--the fuck outta here!”

Eyes open wide, alerted now to the situation. How far did she fall? Her head felt like it was splitting. Dark eyes are looking down at her, a face glitching in and out.

“Takemura… Can’t leave him back there--”

“Forget him, guy’s toast! ‘Less you wanna wind up like him!”

Dust continues to fall on her head as the sound of bullets and chaos flood her ears. Pushing up, she blinks upward and tries to peer through the several stories she fell from. Barely, she can hear him, a fierce warrior standing his ground. Making a final stand, maybe.

That is the sound of the only samurai in Night City making his last stand.

“You’re not really thinking of…”

Before she could hear more from the rockerboy, she crouched down low, leg implants prepping for a full leap--

V braced herself against the side of a ledge, hearing the mayhem from the floor above and below. She positioned for another jump and caught another ledge, grabbing onto a piece of rebar that was sticking out. She pulled herself up with both hands and assessed the situation.

Three armed men against one Takemura.

Green lights of data bathe the room as she engaged in her optical implants, hostiles immediately outlined in red. Her sights set on the closest one and she executed a command. His head jerks suddenly as his optic implants sputter and shut down. Then the quickhack hopped to the next one. Then the next one--V was already hauling herself up and over, katana drawn from her back.

Execution was immediate and second-nature; one head rolled to the floor, the next man was put down with a simple upward thrust from below, the blade piercing into the soft and exposed underjaw. Through the skull. Dead in an instant. Third man was executed before she could get to him, courtesy of Goro and his steady aim.

V whipped her head towards him. There is no time to spare. Neither of them are allowed a pause with armored men running down the hall just outside the demolished room. Yet V hustled over to the old man.

“You should not have returned!” He is intent on arguing with her, rage fresh on his face from the fight. “You will die here with me!” V grants him a cursory look up and down, her rage quelled briefly. He’s in one piece. A wave of relief washes over her.

“Thank me when we get out.” There’s no more time for discussion. V booked it towards the door and bounded around a corner with Takemura in tow, nearly colliding with the elite task force. Another shower of bullets breeze by her and she hunches down, taking cover before throwing a grenade.

V clenches her teeth in anticipation for the explosion and bolts when it detonates, hurrying down the hall.

Her RAM slots have fully restored by the time she is able to see the next squad in their path. Once again, she executes a quickhack to temporarily fry their optics. A quick call is made to her favorite chauffeur as she narrowly evades death-by-bullets.

“Delamain?”

“There’s a conflict going on inside of the dwelling you’re in--”

“No shit. Be ready. We need a fast extraction.”

A bullet whizzed by her ear just as she descended down a flight of stairs--she nearly stumbles, hand catching the railing-- “Should’ve just dropped back down that fucking hole--fuck--”

Moments later, they topple a large guard who had been awaiting them at the entry point. He’s overwhelmed by two assailants, and left unconscious on the filthy tile floor of the lobey. V makes it out with the old man--and falls as a red malfunction notification stretches across her vision. Her palms scrape against the concrete as her head feels ‘disconnected’ from the rest of her body.

“Be careful!” Takemura is there, his hand takes her by the upper arm. His optics glance back towards the lobby they had exited, then back to her as he hoists her up. “We must go different ways! Alone we have a better chance!”

Oh, she doesn’t like that idea.

“Get me to my car first…” She says through clenched teeth, grabbing his arm for support. She’s brisk on her feet, he hustles, near-dragging the merc.

Delamain is waiting, the door already open. Takemura is none the wiser as he guides her in. Although her head feels disconnected, she is still very in control of her arms.

“V!” Very abruptly, he is forcibly pulled into the back with her with the door shutting behind him. Brief satisfaction blossoms in her stomach, but she doesn’t notice it right away. Her lungs feel as though they’re on fire, out of breath from running and out-maneuvering the Arasaka milia-force. Can’t really notice much else. Details blur when adrenaline takes over.

“Book it, Delamain!”

The wheels were already spinning before she delivered her command, arms secured around a man that could get a senior discount on his coffee at any diner in Night City.

“Release me, V.” He, much in the manner of a cat or a dog, did not take kindly to being held. Didn’t like deception, either. Even as he tries to free himself, he’s doing his best not to cause her undue harm. Neither of them are in the best shape.

Delamain Jr.’s voice chimes in timidly, “Once I am certain we are not being followed, where would you like to go?”

“Fuck, I don’t know…” With some reluctance, V released the old man and groaned as she shifted, sitting upright. Slowly. “Find a shitty motel outside the city. The lower rating the better…”

“Understood.”

Her fist shoved down into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills, groaning a little as she shifted towards her side of the car and allowing a little more room between herself and the senior citizen.

This is likely the first time Takemura has witnessed her consuming medication, or what he assumes to be medicine. While he’s never seen her drink or do anything “recreational”, he understands what V is about. What the people in this city do.

The pair exchanged glances as she inserted a pill into her mouth and she capped the bottle, swallowing dryly. He thinks to ask her about it, but…

“V.”

“Come too far to see you turn into abstract art on someone’s apartment wall, Takemura.” The moment to ask her about the pills passed quickly. Opportunity lost. “You and I are sticking together until the heat blows over.”

“It would be within our best interest to go separate ways.”

“Please…” She is sinking a little deeper into the car seat, exhausted. Too exhausted to make her case about why. So V makes a plain and simple request, “Please don’t leave me alone with Johnny.”

As he fixes her attention on her once more, a cluster of blue pixels flutter across her vision, obscuring the face he makes. His concern is masked and distorted with glitches. There’s a sharp pain where her heart is. He says something, but she can’t hear him too well. Just need a few minutes. Pills aren’t instant, and Johnny’s probably fit to burst with some kind of tantrum.

She just needs a couple minutes...

Her optics drift away from him and out of the car window.

Just a few minutes.

**Transition**

“They could exterminate both of us in one assault. All they’d need to do is surround us and… that’s it.”

“Which is why I--”

“I’m not arguing, Goro… but I can’t…” She clenched her jaw, feeling the sickness creep up on her, like some ominous hangover that keeps threatening her with bile. Just a matter of time before she’s worshiping the toilet and curling up in the bathtub.

Goro leans away from the window, drawing the shades completely shut, and he gives her one more look over. Always stern. His face is always so… stern.

At the moment, though, it’s soft. Not tender with fondness, no. Soft with sympathy, or something close to it. The old man procured a chair and moved it towards the door. He placed it against the wall and sat down with the door some feet towards his right, so that he may have a proper view of the small room. V rented a single. There’s only one bed and it’s…

Well, she specifically requested the lowest-rated motel.

That’s exactly what she’s got.

The side of the bed she’s sitting on faces the window. Her eyes are fixed on the blinds, paranoid. Any moment they could come in, but V is too tired to be of any use to anyone, and unfortunately she’s too wired to go to sleep. Any moment, she might be facing down the barrel of an assault rifle, or maybe Adam-Fucking-Smasher himself will come in and just put her down like a dog.

“You should rest. I will keep watch.”

“Would if I could, Goro…” Carefully, she scoots herself backwards until her back is pressed against the wall. Don't think about the sheets. Don't think about the stains. Don't think about the sound of cars driving by... She pulls her knees towards her chest, nausea keeping her in a constant state of sickness. Hot, cold, sweaty, clammy. She feels like absolute shit. In an attempt to delay the inevitable, she focused on even, slow breaths.

After enduring the sight of her for long enough, Takemura moved from his chair, rolling up his sleeves as he went for the door.

“I will fetch you something to drink. Wait here...” 

Naturally, he’s cautious in his departure. An audible swallow comes and, while she did want to be alert in Takemura’s absence, she wanted to settle her stomach. Eyes close, her head tilts back to rest against the wall behind her, and she clutched her knees to fend off that uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Worry.

V begins to worry, and he hasn’t even been gone for two minutes.

Her eyes looked at the door, glanced to the window, and she started counting the seconds until Takemura came back… How long? Will he come back? What about Johnny?

… Johnny.

It’d been a few hours since she took those pills. If she can just keep taking those blockers, she can keep avoiding him.

Groping at her pocket again, she pulled out a little bottle and twisted off the cap, conjuring out one before the door opened again. Terror hits her and it must’ve been written all over her face. V is calm again as their eyes meet… She pops a pill into her mouth and puts the cap back on her bottle.

Takemura approaches, can of water in hand. To her knowledge, he’s light on eddies. What does he have left, and how has he been getting eddies?

He offers the canned water, standing by the edge of the bed, and she reluctantly pulls herself towards the edge of the bed to get in reach. Taking the can, she sags, finger hooking on the tab. Something warm touches her forehead, mind splitting. Attention shifts up and her lungs cease as Goro holds the back of his fingers to her skin.

“... The Relic?” He accurately assumes, hand drifting away. V makes a small nod and finds herself awkwardly wringing the cool can in her hand, the pill in her mouth has started to lose it’s sweet coating. The bitterness acts as a warning. She brings the rim and starts to drink in silence.

A new feeling is combining with her discomfort. It’s not helping. The silence that follows as Takemura returns to his chair by the door is… upsetting.

“What will you do after this?”

“Mnn… I do not know.”

“Think about it… You clear your name, we prove Yorinobu killed his father… What then?”

A moment passes as he contemplates, reflecting in silence while his attention stays on the door.

“I do not know what is in store for me after this.”

Raising the can of water, she presses it to her temple, head tilting his way. “What do you hope for? Do you want to go back to Arasaka? What do you want, Goro?”

More contemplative silence passes. After a while, it’s obvious he had no answer to give. She pressed harder, but from a different angle.

“If money wasn’t a problem and you could go anywhere… do anything.”

Still, no answer… 

“Goro…?”

V’s lips pinched together and she looked down into the can, worrying her brows together as she felt a strange weight in her stomach. She already feels queasy. Something else is coming in, a new feeling that she can’t quite define. It blossoms with the pain that’s near her heart. What is that?

She lowers her can and looks at him more directly.

“Takemura… You must want something.”

Nothing.

After more silence, V’s eyes fell away and her attention moved to the window. Blinds drawn, but the light from a nearby street lamp casts lines of amber against the desk before her. She stares longingly at the ashtray and recalls the scent of cigarettes by memory. It does nothing to settle her stomach or her chest.

There’s a strange quiver in her chest. The pumping in her heart chamber muscles went off-beat for a moment. That’s all.

The sting near her heart, though. That’s something different.

“I told you I was trained at a young age.” Conditioned to be a warrior, as she understands it. “I was chosen to be corporate soldier. They gave me education, instilled discipline.”

“You could do a lot with that background, or you could just escape into the badlands and make out a different life. Or just find a smaller place, away from the stench and the cockroaches. Make a simple living, have a simple life.” V is desperately laying out options for him, but something about it doesn’t seem within the realm of possibility for Goro.

This, he at least confirms.

“Were it so easy...”

“We could figure it out together...” She raises her can up and keeps the rim close to her bottom lip. Like a child, she hides to protect herself. Despite being wracked with this nausea and discomfort, she pushed out the words. V could not look towards him, couldn’t find the nerve.

Silence resumes. An awkwardness was filling the motel room.

… shit, shouldn’t have said anything.

Why hasn’t he said anything?

V couldn’t bare it any longer and her eyes flickered over, straightening her back. His face is unreadable. His attention is set on the floor.

“Too forward, or…?”

The growing silence tells her… yes, she was too forward.

V assumes Arasaka can successfully remove the Relic. Assumes she will be let-off easy for her attempted theft of Arasaka. Assumes that Takemura wouldn’t be graciously accepted back into the fold, as he is a valuable asset to the corporation, and even more--the fucking audacity--that maybe Takemura would want anything to do with her when--

A car pulls up outside and both of them instinctively stiffened.

“V…” They hear the sound of a car door open and close. “We will discuss this at another time.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working towards that Oda content. We're getting there. It's on the roadmap, I just wanna take a couple stops through Takemura-ville before then. You know, sight-see and stuff. Apologies if there are any errors, I have been furiously writing for a week and I am not looking back.

“I know what you’re thinking… I’m in your head, V.”

It’s the worst when she’s alone in elevators. It’s just them, alone, together. No one is around, so if she ends up talking out loud, no one is around to suspect a fucking thing. If she starts hurting herself, no one can stop her. That is to say, if Johnny sees fit to put her through a bit of abuse.

“Hhfuck--” The brain surges shortly after the doors close. V reaches into her pocket, fumbling for a bottle of pills when suddenly her hand is not her own. “Fuck--what’re you doing?”

“Showing you what it feels like to be trapped.”

Blood is dripping from her nose as Johnny creeps in, fast and easy. The pills are scattering on the floor. Just one will do her--just one.

Just one’ll do’er.

“I know we haven’t exactly seen eye to eye, but believe me when I tell you I’m trying to save your soul.” His mess of dark hair frames his face as he leans over, the ceiling lights of the elevator painting him in a dark silhouette as he lowers down. Too close… He is uncomfortably close. “That Arasaka dog doesn’t give a shit about you, and neither does his master.”

“Take… Takemura cares… enough… You were wrong… about him…”

“Get your head out of your ass, kid--one dog, one bone. Once he gets what he needs, he’ll forget you.”

The pain in her chest amplifies.

“You know it.”

Just one… pill…

“Our only hope is sitting at the Afterlife and her name’s Rogue.”

“No… s’my choice. Not your decision!” She’s pushing herself to her knees and starts collecting the pills, gathering them in the bottle. Her hands are shaking as she pops the cap back on, one pill in her palm. The edges of her vision are darkening. Lips are… tingling… 

“We’re outta time, V. Jesus, look at you--”

Fade to black.

****

**Transition**

… Misty’ll never forgive her.

Vik doesn’t even want to deal with her shit; he’s scared and doesn’t like talking about things that leave him prone and vulnerable. Tough guy. Easier to punch problems than to talk to them.

He’s scared for her, she gets that.

She’s making everyone around her so worried… but what can she do?

Another pill is inserted into her mouth and she swallows thickly. She feels it lodged in her throat, reluctant to go down. She tries to force it down, lubricating with what little spit she could collect in her mouth as she furiously fingered the touchscreen on the elevator.

V had made up her mind, but she’s doing all she can to keep her surface thoughts obscured. Johnny can hear those surface thoughts. They’re… intimately involved, much to V’s dislike. In her mind, his roots run deeper as every second passes.

How much time is left?

****

**Transition**

… Misty’ll never forgive her.

“Wait… Is that an Arasaka stretch?”

V looked down towards the flooring, too much of a coward to look at her directly. She, who lost Jackie. She, who tended to V when no one else would. She, who wouldn’t--

“V! They killed Jackie! And now…”

“What other options do I have, Misty?” Besides… Wouldn’t they both be alive and well, had they not taken that job? That’s the nature of the job they signed up for--you plan a heist, you run the risk of getting shot and--...

She’ll never forgive V.

“Betraying a friend… you can’t justify that.”

V is furious, but her wrath is tempered and held back.

“What do you want, Misty? You want me to go home, decorate my walls with grey matter?” V leans over the counter and Misty, in response, leans away. “You gonna hold an ofrenda for me? What’re you gonna say when it’s your turn to talk about me? Will you tell them about how you talked me out of taking my only chance?” The grim questions shift the dynamic of the room greatly as V paints the picture with stark, contrasting colors.

“You got no right to judge me… It’s this or death.”

“You changed, V… Not for the better.”

At least she’s not changing into Johnny.

… The wind chimes warn her of a visitor.

A man in white enters and she feels the guilt for Misty flourish.

“V, it’s good to meet again. You look...”

Yeah, she knows. Like shit.

“I’m dying, what do you expect?” A blunt and firm reminder, one that was meant to strike him with embarrassment. She looks him over, noting the attire. “And you look like a million eddies… In Arasaka’s good graces again, I take it.”

“No more hiding in filth, no more second-rate food.”

“Preem. Guess we don’t need to pick up where we left off, huh?”

The sharpness in which she cut him with words. Takemura experienced the whiplash. V could see that from the flinch in his brows, implying that he didn’t forget. He just… conveniently forgot about it? Maybe?

“What’s he doing here?” V gestured towards Hellman, who was standing idle by the door.

“He will be assisting us in the next step.” 

****

**Transition**

“You’re looking well, considering…” Her tone is neutral and cool, but the undertone has implications. “... How is your jaw? I hope it doesn’t pop when you chew.”

“It does not. How is your eye? Hopefully it improves your aim, using one to focus instead of two.”

“V! Oda.”

In V’s defense, Oda bruised her brow, not her eye, but she didn’t get the chance to clarify.

The gruff and abrupt bark of Takemura was more than enough to summon her attention before further ribbing could ensue. The pair stood mostly at attention as the silver glare settled on both of them. Although, most of the weight was on her.

“You would do well not to antagonize him.”

V could bite her tongue, but why would she want to?

“And Oda,” the cyberninja erects his spine when his name was called, “you are too old to fall prey to childish banter.”

Oda’s lips pinch to a thin line.

Despite the urge to harass Takemura’s underling, she repressed further comments. They don’t need words to carry a dialog, afterall. They resume down the walkway towards the meeting of the minds, the board of directors waiting, but inevitably Oda and V lock eyes before properly departing from one another. Oda’s glare was one that spoke of a silent challenge. V’s steady counter-glare was one of mischief, daring him.

They are like cats and dogs.

Hanako starts walking, and the squad dutifully follows along. While she has a chance, she tries to walk next to Takemura. Something has been gnawing at the back of her mind. Gnawing because of what Hanako showed her. The ghost she saw underneath Arasaka tower.

“Are you aware?” Before they reach the board of directors, V steals a moment of Takemura’s time, a pressing question at the forefront of her mind.

“Saburo’s engram… Did you know the whole time?” The look he gave her suggested he did not know. This in turn surprised V as well. They both look to each other with repressed shock, minds racing.

“I was his bodyguard, he would have told me.”

“How could you not-know?”

Their eyes fell towards Hanako, but neither spoke further. V was busy trying to think of the implications, the explanation. Nausea was building in her stomach as she came to understand the gravity of this.

Saburo will live forever. Arasaka can indefinitely live forever, if this is the case. There is no need for legacy in a world where a person can be made digital, compressed into bytes, and stored away.

For a split second, she thought of Johnny.

****

**Transition**

“I cannot go any further… If I see Yorinobu, I cannot guarantee I will not kill him where he stands.” Goro’s eyes divert from the door and fall onto V. Despite her rapidly deteriorating condition, she stands tall and tries to mirror his composure.

“Your agreement with Hanako-sama will be undone. It is the last favor I can do for you.”

“Do yourself a favor… Leave.” It’s taking everything in her to maintain this false composure, but V is trying her best with fists clenched tightly at her sides. She speaks confidently, daring to be forward even though what she said could be too much for a man such as him.

This is not how they do things, after all. These words might be useless, but--

“Takemura, please consider leaving Arasaka.” Hell, she’s on the verge of dying, so she may as well spill her guts now. “Make your own path. Make it with me…” Her optics stare into his, but a cluster of pixels and bytes are distorting everything, a warning alerts her in a red overlay. She refuses to divert her focus.

“V, some things are not so simple…”

She continued to press, “I lost my closest friend that day. Someone important to me. You did as well… I don’t have much left in this city. The few anchors I have…” Thoughts of Judy, River, Panam, Kerry, they rush to her mind but none of them stay for long. “I won’t stay on their account. I lost Jackie, but gained you--and you’ve been at my side the entire time.”

Takemura’s eyes would no longer meet V’s and once more, she could only hear his silence.

V’s nails dig into the flesh of her palm.

It is all she can do to keep her eyes from getting wet.

The pregnant silent continues, and no matter how long her eyes press him, he will not answer. The silent rejection crushes her throat and smothers her chest with that familiar pain. At the very least, she will keep her lips from quivering. She will not have him witness her cry.

That would just be pathetic.

Hopes discarded, V surrenders and leaves Takemura. Yorinobu awaits. She did not come all this way to fall on her sword. Not over a man… 

… There will never be another Takemura Goro.

****

**Transition**

Lights. Bright. White. Blind.

It feels like her head and body are out of alignment.

Mouth open, she tries to make some kind of noise. Can barely hear it, even in her head. There’s movement in the light, but V can only see traces of the after-movement. Someone is speaking, but she doesn’t know who.

How much time has passed like this?

Feeling in her fingers, feeling in her toes… V tries to bend, fighting against gravity to sit upright. It feels weird. Something pushes her back down and more shapes appear in the bright light.

“--10cc diazepam should put her under for a while.”

“Get the restraints anyway. Can’t have her--...”

Fade to black.

****

**Transition**

The room is sterile. It looks sterile. Minimalist. V can almost taste… purple? On her tongue. A good thing, considering she had lost her taste on her way to Arasaka tower. Hellman said her hearing would go next.

Not the best smell in the world, but she’ll take it for what it is and appreciate it.

The light is too bright, though.

A woman is in view, focused on a chart of some kind.

“I will send it by the end of the week.” Can’t be talking to V, or could she? Ugh, she feels like her mind is… elsewhere. “My congratulations again on your success. Goodbye.” That voice was familiar, but their body was not in the room. The woman left as V’s lips began to move. Gravel rumbles deep in her throat.

“I’m tasting… colors.”

“The synesthesia is temporary. We had to create additional synapses in your brain.” The woman approaches from behind a desk and divides her attention between V and the datapad at hand. “You’re cleared from all engrams. The madness is past.”

“Don’t remember… getting here…” 

The world distorts into strange colors, unnatural. Is that because of the software from her optics? The surgery? V grappled with her new perception of reality as she fought off the sluggish, heavy feeling. Everything felt foreign.

She felt… different, to say the least.

“Memory loss. You might recover some of it over time.”

“Am I still… myself?”

“Remain calm. Your neural processor is overburdened and unnecessary stress responses will only make things worse.”

“Who… Who am I?” Moving in the chair, she starts to feel nausea once more, dizzy. Vertigo, even when she closes her eyes.

“As I said, some of your memories will be restored in time.” She turns away from the dazed V who seemed absent of questions. “Everything is in order. Take the patient away.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated writing this test stuff, I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. I'm writing at the speed of light because I want hurry to the parts where we get to witness Oda being bullied. I'm mad with thirst for Oda, and I lay all blame on the twitter artists.
> 
> Thank you for the helpful suggestions, I will be applying them when I catch myself making errors.

**Transition**

“Please get ready. Testing will begin shortly.”

“Uh, okay. Got any good news for me, or--”

“We must complete a series of tests. Please do not hinder or delay.”

The doctor--is she a doctor? Set up at the workstation to the left bedside. She oozed professionalism. Complete and absolute professionalism. Almost completely clinical in conduct... Detached.

... Where’s her fucking bedside manner?

“Parietal lobe examination.”

Must seem unnecessary in the eyes of Arasaka… Or it could be a culture thing. V is incredibly ignorant, but ever curious and observant. She wants to know, understand--obviously she wants to get better, so she floats on this vague assumption that this is to help her recover.

“Please use your Kiroshi scanner and read the displayed text.”

An audible sigh leaves her and she engages her scanner, optics swapping to the screen overhead.

“And it was a sight to behold, he said, how a soul would choose its life. Sometimes pitiable, sometimes laughable, at times wonderful and strange...” It holds V’s attention. What is this, a poem? An excerpt from something? It’s strangely intriguing but--

“That’s enough.”

The screen is turned off before she could read more.

“Cognitive function test. Please solve the cube.”

**Transition**

The doors open, and it’s the same woman. What was her name? V swears she asked and was told a few times, but it wasn’t memorable and she can’t bother to ask anymore.

It’s another day. More tests are to come, probably. Why else would this woman walk in with her clinical, cold professionalism?

… She’s kind of a bitch.

“Hey.”

“Get ready. Testing will begin shortly.”

“Ooookay then…”

“You're in a cornfield. Tall green plants as far as the eye can see. The sun is bright, blinding. The stalks of corn part as you walk forward. You come across a clearing left by an automated combine in its wake. The heat has made your mouth dry and sticky. You spot a rodents' nest at your feet. The machine has torn through the soft soil. You spot blind, newborn field mice around their mother. The machine has left her sliced in two. They lie in perfect symmetry, a tiny rodent rosette. Your mouth begins to water--”

“No. Stop, just… stop.”

**Transition**

The sound of her keystrokes were steadily grating on her last nerve. Where are these tests going? It wouldn’t be so infuriating if maybe she heard how the results were going. Fuck, if they told V anything, something--

“Measurements complete.” She collected the datapad and stood from the seat, walking to the other end of the room. Knowing what comes next, V scooted off the bed and limped her way over to the treadmill.

“Motor function test. Please step onto the treadmill.”

“Connect to the dev--”

“Yeah, I know…”

What day is it?

**Transition**

“Please get ready. Testing will begin shortly.”

A strange feeling is in her stomach. Disgust. V already knows what to expect.

“You're in a cornfield. Tall green plants as far as the eye can see. The sun is bright, blinding. The stalks of corn part as you walk forward. You come across a clearing left by an automated combine in its wake. The heat has made your mouth dry and sticky. You spot a rodents' nest at your feet. The machine has torn through the soft soil. You spot blind, newborn field mice around their mother. The machine has left her sliced in two. They lie in perfect symmetry, a tiny rodent rosette. Your mouth begins to water. A shadow gradually--”

“What’s the point of this fucking test?”

“Test your level of empathy…”

“Yeah? Well, stop testing for that.”

**Transition**

“Cognitive function test. Please solve the cube.”

This cube has four fucking squares on each side. How hard can it be? Why can’t she solve it? … Better question--is this fucking rigged?

It’s definitely fucking rigged.

“No…”

**Transition**

It’s uncomfortable and quiet in this small room. It’s a little cold. Suppose it has something to do with keeping things like medicine chill. Everything is… too sterile.

Never thought she’d miss the stench of a city.

How many hours have gone by?

There’s no natural sunlight, although there are observatory windows. Looking out, she can see the void of space, decorated with little dots of white. It’s not like the sky back at home, though… Never thought she’d miss the clouds.

Scrolling over the names on her holo, she pinched her lips together as she looked at her contacts list.

Only one person picked up.

“Hey, Vik… How’s it goin’?”

“Hey! Heheh, should be askin’ you the same.”

“Chip’s gone…”

“Arasaka?”

“Yeah, I’m… sittin’ on an orbital station.”

“When you get back, come visit my clinic first thing. You’ll need a check-up, tune-up--augments and implants aren’t designed for zero-gravity. Might need to make a few adjustments…”

“Yeah… I don’t know when I’ll be back down but… hope it’ll be soon.” She draws in a nervous breath, “I’m not doin’ so hot, Vik.”

“Well, uh…” The familiar awkwardness is rising. Amazing how he can still be disgruntled a million miles away. “Not a whole lot I can do over the phone…”

“I know, I just… Just wanted someone to talk to, is all. Hear someone talk. Anyone, about anything, you know?”

“Mnh, uh… Misty’s out of town.” Can already imagine him anxiously pacing, avoiding the heavy conversations. He can talk about general things, but nothing deeper than just surface things.

Vik tells her about where Misty’s been. Something about Warsaw. Postcard. Polar bear.

It was so good to hear his voice.

… Misty’ll never forgive her.

**Transition**

“The test will b--”

“Nuhuh, no.” Before she could get five feet from the threshold, the “doctor” was being dismissed. Promptly. Rudely. V sat in her bed upright, her glare leveling on the doctor. Researcher. Whatever the fuck she is. The best V could do was withhold the sneer.

“... We have to conduct mor--”

“No! I’m not doing it.”

Despite V’s firmness, the doctor remained with her datapad. Slow steps, like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed further in. V moved towards the foot of the bed.

“What’re you still doing here?” As V stood on both feet, the doctor began to step backwards. “Get the fuck out.” A unique look was in V’s eye, unsettling. Maybe it’s practiced. Or maybe she’s actually sick in the head and this repetition is making her insane. The frustration is mounting, boiling…

“Why’re you still here??” The doctor clutched her datapad and quickly turned on her heel--narrowly avoiding a deadly little rubix cube. “Get out!”

Her rampage has just started, but the sounds of her temper tantrum are muted and confined to her small, suffocating room.

**Transition**

“You look just as you did when I found you in the rubbish.” His voice is low and grants her strange comfort birthed in familiarity. If home-away-from-home had a voice, it would be Takemura’s.

V's eyes open, fixing upon his visage which was painted in unusual colors. There he is. It’s as if he’s been there the whole time. From all the things she’s been through and all she’s hallucinated lately. It could’ve been a ghost, for all she knew. It could’ve been Jackie, or Johnny… Is he real?

“Get up.” No, it’s definitely Takemura in the flesh. V pushed herself up steadily, blinking the strange colors from her eyes. That’s all she’s been doing. Sleeping. Hours, or maybe minutes? Time escapes her.

“It is an awful place. It is no wonder you are losing your mind.”

V just stares at him in soft disbelief. This feels kind of unprofessional, all of this. He’s here, dressed nice, as he should be. His facial hair is trimmed and groomed, he looks… clean. By comparison, she probably looks awful. V hasn’t looked at herself in the mirror for--days? How long has she been here?

She barely has the strength or will to get up and shower.

“Are you here to take me back home?” Hopeful… Fearful… Which does she feel when she thinks about going back to Night City?

“They asked me to speak with you.” That’s not an answer to her question.

“Saw the news. They put Saburo… in Yorinobu’s body. Are you satisfied with your revenge? Vengeance--justice, whatever the fuck you wanna call it?”

“Hanako-sama did what she thought was best.” Takemura carefully turns the colorful cube in hand, examining its sides. The very same cube she was tortured with by that cunt-doctor.

“It’s kinda messed up, don’t you think?” V cocks her head his way, carefully shifting on her bed until her feet dangle off the edge. “Last I remember, Yorinobu was going to kill himself. Now, he’s overwritten by his father. Saburo… his reign gets to continue and… all it cost him was his son.”

“They are different from you and me. We do not have the right to judge them.” Goro sets the cube down gently on the desk and brings his hands together.

What the fuck does that even mean?

“And what of you now? Are you going to go back to being his bodyguard?”

“I have an assignment that requires me elsewhere. I have been transferred to Japan. I will fly from here to Takamatsu. A change in times brings about a change in duties, but we say far too much about me.”

There it is… Why did she expect something different?

Looking him over, putting pieces together, she realizes it. He wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t employed by Arasaka. They wouldn’t allow anyone here if they weren’t directly involved or paid by Arasaka and--

What the fuck was she thinking? She was only kidding herself.

V’s petite feet now touch the cold floor at this point, eyes falling towards Goro's shoes.

“What is it, then?”

Takemura moves to collect the chair that V may or may not have thrown to the floor in a violent act of rebellion and rage. Honestly, she didn't remember tossing it. The anger kind of makes things hazy. She was wrapped up in the moment, as the mess in her room evidently suggests. Oh, maybe this barbaric behavior is unladylike. Maybe the reason--no, there's probably a lot of reasons--maybe one of the reasons why he couldn't or wouldn't--

“V-san…" He calls her from her thoughts before any further realization is made. "There are options at this point, but you will not like what they are. As you are now, you will not live to see winter.”

In a strange way, she’s not even surprised by the answer. The impact of this news hits her, but it's not obvious. V continues to stare towards Goro's shoes with a stone-like expression as she disassociates from all things.

“You may stay here in their care or leave. Return to your filthy city. Live out the remainder of your time as you see fit.”

This whole time, she’s just been delaying the inevitable, hasn't she?

There is hotness building in her eyes. It’s steadily growing, threatening to overflow. V bends, leaning down so much it almost seems like a bow. For everything she’s feeling, the pain, the sick feeling--God, she doesn’t want him to see her cry.

“F-fuck…”

“There is one more option… although it is experimental, and there are risks. It will be a long process, but I… will be with you every step of the way, V.”

A hiccup threatens to erupt out of her.

“Do you mean that?” She swallows back the tightness in her chest and throat, trying to strengthen her voice despite her nerves.

“It is an option. One I do not suggest lightly.”

The Arasaka soldier moves around the chair and takes a seat. In his hand, a datapad with a familiar logo is tinted on the screen. He offers it and she accepts with both hands. V looks up from the screen and stares back into Goro’s eyes, observing the silver rings.

He will be with her every step of the way.

V is filled with false hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally here. It's finally happening. Do you like Oda as much as I do? Then you should check out Yukiuy on twitter. They're just really neat. Additionally, please, if anyone has the urge to write Oda/V stuff... Please, please do it. There needs to be more. There's simply not enough... There will never be enough.

**Transition**

The light outside is impossibly bright, so bright that it hurts her eyes.

It feels like either her head is too small, or her brain is growing too big, or… 

“V-san.”

A deep voice brings her out of her disorganized thoughts and a hand extended into her view. There are strange lines along the strong fingers. V followed the path of their arm to their shoulder, their neck and face. Something like machinery hugs his neck like a brace. Silver lines his pupils. His hair is dark but peppered with gray.

Oh, Takemura. She almost didn’t hear him. Everything is so noisy.

An awkward smile comes over her as she takes his hand. By comparison, her hand does not have lines like his. Smooth skin, seamless at the joints. He guides her to her stand. When did her legs become so weak?

Takemura assists her into the passenger seat.

V reclines carefully, gently. It’s all leather, and the seat is warm. She puts her hands over her knees as the car door shuts, feeling them shake under her palms. What is she wearing? … They look like hospital scrubs.

The driver side door opens and closes and the familiar Takemura takes possession of the wheel. The noises are far more quiet inside the car. _Is that an Arasaka stretch?_

“V, seatbelt.” Oh, she reaches and pulls a strap and hauls it over her torso, inserting the clip to hear it click, and then she leans back. Turning her head, she stares at Takemura’s side-profile, listless for a moment. All is quiet, for the most part. Something is coming in through the radio, barely audible. Is that jazz?

Her eyes gradually fall away from him and V looks through the windshield, through the glass, blinking against the light that stings her eyes. Tall buildings, so many cars. Things feel the same but different somehow.

“How much do you remember?”

His question leaves her pondering. Attention remains on the cityscape outside the window, but her eyes lose focus. Thinking. It’s hard. Feels like she’s trying to cut through a thick fog with a butterknife, and she’s getting nowhere.

“How would I know…?” There's constant pain, but now it’s growing the more she concentrates. She’s trying to organize her thoughts. “I was… in a room. There was a treadmill… Cornfields and mice…” She’s feeling sick. So sick. Sick and growing angry, but she’s not so sure why.

“Cornfields and mice?” He repeats.

“You… came.”

Briefly, Takemura glances towards his passenger, expression unreadable.

“You came and got me out.” There were gaping holes in some of it, but she could remember waking up to see Takemura. He was dressed nice, much like he’s dressed now. V’s anger settles a little, her hands finding the bottom of her plain shirt. She fidgets with it, looks his way again, an awkward smile coming back.

“Thanks for that.”

He sounds stilted, excusing himself with, “I could not leave you to rot there. It was… barbaric.”

A few slow blinks, her eyes are noticing details she hadn’t pulled up before. These buildings look different. The area is different. All of these things are different and the streets aren’t that familiar.

“Takemura? Where are we?”

“Japan. We are leaving Osaka towards Kobe now.”

The breath leaves her body, exhaling as disbelief steadily washes over her.

“Oh.”

… Her eyes are starting to sting. Only seconds go by and she starts blinking hard and fast. There’s a powerful feeling in her chest.

“V?”

Faster, harder blinking. There’s a rush of hot water coming out of her eyes, and she’s doing her best to keep her head turned away. Don’t want him to see. The strong feeling in her chest continues. It’s a little painful, but good at the same time. Her hand comes up in an attempt to discreetly wipe away the tears that are streaking down her face.

“V, are you alright?”

“I’m great… Yeah, no--I’m good.” There’s a swell in her chest, something painful but enjoyable at the same time. By the time it settles, and her eyes stop leaking, her fingers are wet and she can taste salt on her upper lip. It’s not blood. For some reason, she expected it to be blood tickling her upper lip. All of this, because she was far from Night City, best known as the City of Shadows.

“Thank you…” Her hand cups her mouth, just in case she were to make any unexpected noises.

“I could not in good conscience let you return to that forsaken city.”

The hot sensation would not leave her eyes. She could not speak, even if she tried. Thankfully, albeit awkwardly, Takemura was willing to fill the silence.

“It will be roughly three hours before we get to the compound… There is already a room prepared for you. What could be recovered from your apartment, the essentials, should be there already.” The mention of the compound did not ring any bells, unfortunately. “Your physical therapy and rehabilitation begins tomorrow. I suggest you take the remainder of today to recuperate.”

After V managed to recover some of her voice, “What’s this about… a compound? Rehab and PT?” The tightness in her throat won’t leave.

“Your body and your mind are not aligned and your muscles have atrophied from being bidridden post-surgery. It will take time to recover your motor skills, reflexes, muscle mass, among other things.” As he explains, her hands felt gently along her thighs and realized they weren’t as thick as they used to be. Her knees felt weak when she got up from the wheelchair.

Lashes flutter to bat away the tears and she swallows hard, trying to recover her voice. “They’re not going to do tests on me, are they?” Lips tightened into a thin, fine line.

“You will not be confined to a room to perform tests, no.”

“The PT and rehab… How long will that go on for?”

“Until it is no longer necessary for you to continue.”

“And after that?”

“We will discuss that when the time comes.”

**Transition**

V couldn’t help but feel like she was forgetting something. There’s a big black hole in her memory. Every time she skirts around it or gets close to remembering, she fails inevitably to conjure the details.

What is she forgetting?

“V-san,” a voice calls her back, bringing her attention back to the present, “your food is getting cold.”

“Oh.” There’s a subtle lag, but V looks towards the older man who is sitting across from her. There are different types of utensils at her disposal, but Takemura is using chopsticks. She collects them with her dominant hand and fixes them in her fingers, but it feels wrong. Why? V was practiced in using sticks from all those years eating food from street vendors.

Why can’t she hold them like she used to?

“... Do you need children’s hashi?”

Very sharply, she brings her head up, face burning hot. Goro is teasing her, surely. “No! It’s just… It’s been a while! … Don’t watch me eat, it’s weird.”

It’s early morning, the sun is peering out from the horizon. Beams of light slip in from the window. The sky is blue, with the occasional cloud floating by. The room is sparse of color, but it is not clinical in design. Walls, panels, floor--she is reminded of… Regina, Tyger Claws. Roh Chi-Wan.

It feels as if she is in that dojo, but the color palette is lighter and there are different accents, many utilities readily available in this medium-sized room. It feels like a dojo, but in all actuality, this is the kitchen-dining area. The remainder of the compound carries the same style, and one room is actually large and spacious, ideal for activities. A brief look out the windows revealed to her that the premises goes beyond her personal gym and kitchen/dining room, if they can even be referred to as that.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah…” She would’ve slept through her entire morning had it not been for the beautiful windows in her room.

“And the food?”

“Mnh… nova.” She’s never had fish like this. It tastes good and… not-rubbery.

“Did you recall anything interesting since last we met?”

“Mmnh… Hmmm…” V is struggling with her bowl, raising it higher as she attempts to use her hashi as a type of spade so that she could quite literally shovel the rice into her mouth. “Nah, just feel like I’m forgetting something. Like, I left the stove on, or I forgot to turn the lights off…” That was the closest analogy she could think of, but V didn’t dwell on it long.

“Hey, my optics aren’t working.” V set her bowl down, brows furrowing as she tried to engage in her software. “A lot of stuff ain’t workin’... Can’t even pull out my datajack. What’s up with that?”

“You have no cyberoptics. In fact, you have no datajack, because you have no cyberware or implants.” Well, this would explain why she can’t pop out her datajack, but unfortunately that means… what, exactly? V’s struggling to wrap her mind around it. “In simple terms, you are merely flesh and bone, with the exception of the cybernetics that make up your neuro-port.”

Takemura is dead serious, and he’s continuing his breakfast as if it were no big deal.

“What... the fuck does that mean? I’m--what? I’m offline and I’m a fragile meatbag?” She drops her hashi sticks and awkwardly feels around at the port-slots behind her ear, looking at her elder with a dumbstruck face. Goro is becoming aware of V’s panic, but as he tries to execute operation damage control…

“V-san, contain yourself.”

“You know how much I had to save for those leg implants? Those were an investment!” She braced the edge of the table, leaning forward as she began to raise her voice. “How am I going to function? How am I supposed to talk to people? I’m not fluent in Japanese, Goro! And no optics?!” V was on a roll, but Takemura startled her--he set his teacup down. Rather loudly, in fact.

“Silence yourself and I will explain.”

V leans away from the table and defaults to her sitting position.

“Implants, augments, and bodily modifications can be acquired, but your body is recovering from extensive surgery. You should prioritize your health. Therapy and medication are your main concern.”

Something didn’t make sense to V, but Takemura didn’t leave her with a chance to speak.

“You will gain back what you lost in time, but that is later. For now, you should focus on your recovery. Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, reflexes. Do you think having guerilla arms will help you eat? You hold hashi like a child.” Ow… That stings, but he’s not wrong. “Show you are worth investing in and your needs will be met tenfold.”

V looks down, her hand nervously handling her bowl, observing the white rice and fish that remained. A question is brewing, but she’s lacking the confidence to ask. It’s not often, but in the right context and circumstances, Goro can actually intimidate V.

Although, he seems ignorant to the impact his voice has, made evident as he offers to pour her more tea.

“... I will see to it that you are provided with a holo.”

“That’s a good start, but… who will be footing the bill for all of it?”

Takemura is careful to fill V’s cup all the way before setting the teapot back down.

“You need not worry. Finish your breakfast and remember to take your medication. Your physical therapy will begin shortly.”

**Transition**

“There is weakness in your hips.”

“Yeah well, legs aren’t supposed to bend like that, so--hhffff--fuck!”

When she thought of physical therapy, she assumed it would be a lot more active and involved. V was thinking she would be lifting weights or something along those lines. Exercise. Nope. Not that at all.

She’s on her back and some stranger is handling her legs like they were toys, bending and pulling at awkward angles. He says it’s to test for resistance and feel for dysfunctions. He is probably a professional, qualified and certified and all that other bullshit--but there was just one more thing V was hoping for.

She was hoping Takemura would be helping her through this.

“Where do you feel the tension?”

“In my hip--can I straighten my leg now?”

“Yes, we will do the other leg.”

Oh joy.

V’s right leg is released and the trainer changes sides, going to her left so that he may direct her left knee as she bends it. He mirrors the same actions, bringing the leg to a right angle and then he pushes the knee, but keeps the ankle steady.

All the while, she can do nothing but grit her teeth and endure.

“Mm, yes. The muscle shuts down. Symmetrical dysfunction. Neither is greater than the other... With proper training, this can be corrected.”

Goddammit, her hips are great, what is he talking about?

“Now to test the thighs… As I push, you resist. Ready?”

“Ow! Shit--”

**Transition**

It is now the third day since she’s arrived at the compound, and V has not heard from Takemura.

Can’t call him, either. Can’t call anyone. Not that she has anyone to call, but it would be nice to have access to something. Tether her to the outside world.

What else would she like? A fuckin’ datajack.

V contemplates her situation as she stares down into a cold bowl of cereal. Takemura is absent from the compound and she doesn’t know when he’ll be back. If he’ll be back. She’s not sure what she was expecting, but if every morning could’ve started like that first morning… Hot breakfast served by a handsome, composed Takemura.

Yeah, why did she think that would be a regular thing?

This was leagues better than the orbital med station, though.

There are no guards on the compound. Granted, there doesn’t need to be any. The compound, from what V could gather, is regularly used for extensive, personalized training.

Men are made into Arasaka soldiers here.

Apparently, V is so fucking special, she has her own training room.

For most of the morning, V has been here, staring into this bowl of cereal, which is mostly milk at this point. There’s a number of things filling her head, but she doesn’t even know where to begin with the questions. Where does she start? Can she even get a solid answer from Takemura?

Intuition tells her he’s holding out on her… 

“Good morning.”

Someone caught V in the middle of her quandary, and it wasn’t who she was hoping for.

“Hey, Matsuda…”

“Are you ready to begin?”

There is a vague “pleasantness” to Matsuda, her designated physical therapist. He’s older. How old, she can’t say, but he’s definitely old… and surprisingly spry and compact with muscle. Although, V wouldn’t dub him a silver fox.

Matsuda stands in waiting, the sliding door is open and the training room awaits. She was hoping she didn’t have to. She thought she could just avoid him if she stayed in this kitchen-dining room. Maybe next time, she’ll try hiding.

… He’s under the employ of Arasaka.

“Matsuda.” She stands up and deposits the bowl into the stainless sink. “You work for Arasaka.”

“Yes?”

“Are you put here on a specific task, or are you just assigned to work with me until I’m in good enough shape to release?” She approaches and pauses near the door, but Matsuda extends his arm towards the threshold, beckoning her to go in. “Or… what? Like, what’s the goal here?”

“The goal, V-san, is to identify any notable weaknesses and tailor a work-out routine that will benefit you best.” V is reluctant, but she walks in towards the center of the training room.

“Right, sure--but then what?”

“An excellent question. Please, assume the position.”

A long sigh is drawn out and V stares up at the ceiling for a moment, biting back her frustrations. Matsuda is at least a little sociable and friendly. It’s hard to shut someone down when they’re just doing their job, especially when they’re nice and polite. Dammit, V, you’re getting soft.

**Transition**

From what V could glean from interacting with the people on the training compound, there were very little restrictions on what she could or could not do. This was made clear to her one morning when she departed from her residential quarters and went outside.

No one stopped her. Arasaka doesn’t slack on security, so it was strange to her that no one rushed out after her and tried to put her back into her designated abode.

V discovered that the compound had training areas outside as well. People were running drills and operating through obstacle courses. Anything offensive was either hand-to-hand martial arts or swordplay. Up until that point, V had only engaged with Matsuda at length. Watching respectfully from a distance, she enjoyed the view. Men and women, impressively built, accumulating sweat and handling each other--but as nice as it was to watch, she went further than the sparring grounds.

The sparring grounds on the outside were not densely populated. There’s little reason for guards or security, as the people training here are more than capable of defending themselves. Also, the profound lack of security detail must’ve meant there was nothing here worth protecting or guarding.

So no one was around to stop her when V parted from the compound to inspect the foliage that grew a small distance away. Organized greenery. A path is discovered. It’s intentionally plotted out, and she followed it, admiring many exotic flowers along the way. One flower in particular was worth extensive admiration. Red, with many skinny petals curving in a unique way. Red spider lilies.

These flowers, at some point, lined the path that guides her to a cute arched bridge. A small stream is crossed, and V finds herself standing on something of a small island. A patch of land isolated by seemingly still waters. There’s a tree as well on this island. Buds line the branches. She wondered, in passing, how long it would take for the flowers on the branches to bloom.

It smells incredible here.

Unfortunately, V could not evade one persistent Arasaka employee.

“V-san? We are running behind for your physical exam.”

**Transition**

Getting up early was hard as hell, but her body was starting to adapt to the routine. V didn’t have the option to “sleep in” because her body was used to the motions and the time. Maybe this was ideal for people who worked a normal 9-5 job but not V.

As much as she wanted to sleep in, she couldn’t fall back to sleep as the sun threatened to make its presence known.

The morning started out slow. V was staring at the ceiling for most of it, but eventually got around to sliding out of the sheets and slipping into the shower. The smell of breakfast was wafting into her quarters when she finished dressing in the bland grey athletic attire, a standard outfit for most people that attended training at the compound.

V had a hard time repressing the surprise and relief she felt when she saw Takemura prepping breakfast on the small dining table.

“V…” He had just finished setting down a fork next to her bowl when she emerged from her bedroom. “You are late.”

“Wasn’t expecting you. Maybe if I had a holo, you could’ve let me know.” She didn’t idle or linger by the door, eager to sit and help herself to a hot breakfast, courtesy of Takemura. A fork is by her bowl, presented next to the hashi she had failed to use the last time he was here.

“As promised…” He sat down with her and from his attire produced a small black box, sliding it across the table.

“Whoa, seriously?” A very expensive, sleek little tablet was granted. She wasted little time in opening the box, infatuated with the small device. “Was beginning to doubt you for a minute there… Who paid for this?”

“Not your concern…” He picked up his pair of sticks, already digging.

“... No, I wanna know.” She set the holo down and glared at him plainly. “Tell me who. Who paid for all of this?”

Takemura looks up from his bowl, brief irritation rising from his eyes but dissolving just as quickly as it came.

“I am covering everything.”

Oh.

There’s a quiet pause that carries on as V considers the implications. Her hand picks up the fork and awkwardly fidgets with it in her dominant hand, brows furrowing. Now she knows Takemura is paying for her stay here, these medications and this physical therapy, she is trying to figure out the cause. What’s the point? What’s in it for him?

“Why?”

He carries on eating, oblivious to whatever thoughts or feelings V may or may not have been enduring, but answers plainly, “It was what we agreed upon. V, do you not remember?”

“No… Got a lot of blank spots, actually. When did we-- _what_ did we agree to?”

Takemura lowers his bowl and stops eating, eyes squarely fixing on V as he relays the context. “You agreed to participate in the Secure Your Soul program…” V feels a small, focused pressure blooming in her skull. “Arasaka saw fit to allow you a chance to participate in the follow-up program, where an engram can be inserted into a body. However, you have no living family willing to oversee your care after the operation.”

Her attention gradually falls down to her holo, forgetting the fish and rice directly in front of her. A lone finger is outlining the square device, tracing the frame. Thoughts are buzzing in her skull, and the focused pressure in her brain is building a little.

“I agreed to take you into my care…”

Fuck, the pressure is beginning to throb.

V recalls sitting in an orbital station. The days were all the same. Tests blend together and she just slept a lot. It was just a little too cool for her comfort. Takemura came to visit. He gave her a datapad and told her…

… can’t remember. It’s just a void at that point.

“Mnh…” Her hand lifts to try and nurse the pain growing. It’s further than her frontal lobe. The pain is deeper than that.

“V?”

What did he say when he handed over the datapad? V is desperate to remember.

“Are you alright?”

No, but she’s not going to be honest with him about what she’s feeling, is she?

“... Please take your medication.”

When she opens her eyes and looks at him, she finds herself at a loss. He has her in his gaze, and V is distracted by the dark eyes with silver lining. He looks worried for her. V straightens her posture and lowers her hand, collecting two large capsules that have no defining characteristics.

“I’m fine.” She pops them in and declines the use of a fork, determined to master the art of eating with hashi.

“Are you telling me I got digitized and uploaded into a meatsuit?”

“That is a terrible way to put it.” But not wrong, from what she understands. He’s not correcting her, either.

“So my real body, the real me…?” She begins picking away at the fish in her bowl, trying to digest this new information. It explains a lot, actually. Why her limbs feel so weak. Why her knees were shaking the day Takemura left the hospital with her--assuming that’s even a hospital for the general public and not a medical station under Arasaka’s wide umbrella.

“Your body was far too gone and your mind was deteriorating. I am sorry, V.”

The throbbing in her brain was painful and loud, but not so intense that she couldn’t ignore it to save face. Her stomach is in knots, too. This hot meal in her bowl wasn’t appealing at all.

“... I’m not hungry.”

“Please try. It is important you eat with your medication.”

V was content to simply sit in her contemplative silence. She’s not interested in eating or conversing with Goro anymore. There’s a long silence that joins them at the dining table. Goro’s eyes feel heavy on her as she looks into her bowl, picking away at grains of soft, white rice. Her sticks still feel awkward in her hands, but she hasn’t really been practicing with them all week, so of course she’s still fumbling.

Although she’s not interested in eating, she starts to dig in, albeit with less enthusiasm than the first breakfast he made for her.

Sadly, little time was granted for her to rebound from this heavy realization.

“The physical exams have confirmed that your body is still very weak. You are far from the physical condition you were in prior to leaving Night City. To help you recover, I have found a trainer who will assist you with strength and agility routines.”

“Oh yeah? You got me a personal trainer now?”

“Were it possible, I would take up the task myself. I have obligations that require me to be elsewhere.” It was stated professionally, and V is not in any state to think about what she’s thinking about right now--but her mind is already there. She lifts her eyes up. He has her attention, but her attention is not given out of professionalism.

“I feel there are few who could do the job as well as I can.” Well of course he would think that. He has every right to believe he’s the best fit for the task. He was Saburo Arasaka’s hand-picked bodyguard, after all. That’s something to be proud of, in his world.

“I have arranged for your personal trainer to attend to your recovery in my absence. When he is not fulfilling his obligations, he will be here to instruct you through a strict routine. You will show him the same respect you show me, V. I cannot stress this enough… He did not have to agree to do this.”

“Why’d you have to say it like that? You make me sound like I’m a disrespectful little punk or something.”

Takemura looks to V, speaking with his expression, not his words.

“... Okay, granted, but I’m not a bitch to everyone I meet. I mean, Matsuda likes me.”

“Matsuda-san is a professional who is familiar with people with your… disposition.”

“My disposition, huh?” V’s tone is flat and she sets her bowl down. She stops herself, if only because it was Takemura talking to her in such a way. If it were anyone else, though…

“Fine, whatever. When’s all this startin’? Do I get any days off?”

“Training begins immediately. You will get “days off” when he is called away for business… I will check in on your progress periodically.” Takemura collects what remains of breakfast and begins clearing the simple dining table. “You can reach me on your holo in case of an emergency.”

V stood from the table, reaching to take the bowls from the old man.

“That’s okay, I’ll do it.” He’s not resisting, but does seem subtly surprised. V insists, collecting the dishes quietly and immediately seeing them over to the sink to be washed. “You cooked it, I’ll clean it.”

Takemura settled back down in his seat, listening to the sound of V cleaning dishes in the sink. It leaves him with time to finish his tea, to which he savored in the calmness of the kitchen-dining room.

The simple calmness did not last long.

As V sets the dishes on a rack to dry, the door to the sparring room slides open and a man enters wearing an outfit similar to V’s; grey sweatpants, grey t-shirt. Standard, bland athletic attire. V returns from the kitchen section, wiping her hands on her sweatpants as she assesses the stranger. Goro stands from the table.

“Takemura-san.” He gives a simple bow.

“Oda.” A bow is given in kind.

V does not think to bow at all.

“Hanako-sama rarely ventures beyond her domicile, leaving Oda’s schedule relatively flexible. As her bodyguard, he is expected to remain in peak physical condition at all times, and he is adept in all styles of fighting.” Takemura turned his attention towards V, his hands coming together to clasp in front of him. “I can think of no better substitute than my own pupil.”

There was a pause.

The pause lingered.

Why is it quiet?

… V noticed that both Takemura and Oda were looking at her expectantly. They were waiting for something, for her to do something. She is late to realize this, and feels awkward and strange as she glances between the two of them, trying to figure out the social cue.

Oh, no wait. Duh.

“I’m V. Nice to meet you.”

Takemura’s brows furrow marginally and Oda’s attention swaps from V to his elder. She can’t read or interpret the expression he made. His eyes are very sharp, though. V can feel them when Oda switches his optics back to her. They’re so icy she could shiver.

“What? What did I say?”

“V, you and Oda have met once before.”

“Oh, we… we did? We have?” That didn’t seem right, but she vaguely recalls her memory loss issues. There are so many blanks… “Sorry, I guess I just… forgot.”

“Perhaps you will remember later. Treat this as a second chance for a good first impression.” Then he unclasps his hands and makes way for the door. “I must go. I have business that takes place in Takamatsu, but I will not be far.” Takemura pauses near the threshold and turns towards V before his departure. “I shall return. Stay out of trouble.”

“Right… See ya, Goro.”

The door closes and it is just the two of them in the room together. There’s some strange awkward feeling in the air that V can’t really explain, amplified by the way this stoic stranger looks at her with his eerie optics. The longer it goes on, the more uncomfortable it feels, but V rationalizes that it’s only because of his eyes. Did he intentionally opt for the creepy eye implants, or was it a choice of function and they just happened to look like that?

“... We start training at 6am.”

“What? That’s really early. Matsuda didn’t even show up that early.”

“It will teach you discipline. Something you lack. Significantly.”

“Fuckin’ excuse me?” V narrowed her eyes. She’s at a disadvantage here, because he supposedly _knows_ her. Does he know her well enough to insult her like that?

“Time is precious, so you will do well not to keep me waiting.” He reaches out and pulls the sliding door open, showing himself into the training room, the little gym that she’d been using for her physical exams with Matsuda. “The first week will likely be the most challenging for you, but if you persevere, it will get easier with time.”

“Great… Uh, how long are these sessions going to last, exactly?”

“Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”

A solid observation there. She has nowhere else she needs to be, and he knows it very well. If she wanted to leave, could she? If she wanted to go somewhere, would she be allowed? V considers asking, but she wasn’t going to bother asking Oda. She’ll see about asking Takemura later, when Oda sees fit to relieve her of her misery.

V follows Oda with great reluctance until he stops in the middle of the room, turning towards her with his arms folded.

“Push-ups. Now.”

“How many?”

“Until I tell you to stop.”

Fuck… So this is how it’s gonna be.

Lips pinch into a thin line as she glares up towards Oda. He does not waver. He doesn’t even acknowledge her aggression. He waits expectantly, subtly looking down his nose at her. A quiet challenge… and she recalls Takemura’s insistence on respecting him, as if he were Goro. V sets her jaw, clenching it tightly…

… Her frustration and anger is tempered as she gets down and assumes the position, much to her obvious dislike.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanna know a dirty secret? I feverishly read over each chapter, desperately looking for errors, in the hopes that I'll catch and fix them before you notice them... You want to know another dirty secret? Half of this stuff is already written, I'm just too nervous to release the stuff I have because I want to polish it five or six times before I release it into the world for you to read.
> 
> One last dirty secret... I gain sustenance from your comments.
> 
> I'm feral for Oda and you are, too.

**Transition**

“But I didn’t eat breakfast…”

“You should’ve woken up fifteen minutes earlier, you would’ve had time to eat.”

There’s been friction since the moment she met this asshole. He’s quick with the insults and doesn’t show any mercy in the gym. Would Takemura be this harsh? Oda was supposedly the ideal substitute, but it’s only the second day and she’s ready to tell him off.

V’s patience is wearing thin.

There’s a gym bag that hugs across Oda’s torso. More accurately, it looks like a large fanny-pack, but V hasn’t found the words to make up a clever insult about it. He pulls the gym bag off his shoulder and unzips the front pouch, digging in to pull out a granola bar of some kind, and tosses it on the dining table that divides them.

“Eat. Your medication requires it…” He hangs the bag on the back of the chair and removes a pair of shoes next. “Wake up earlier next time.”

The look she gives him as she snatches the wrapped granola bar speaks of her quiet aggravation, but she takes it and pries it open. Protein bar. It’s for meal replacement. She’s had worse. Actually, it’s not bad, but she defaults to hating it because Oda gave it to her.

A petty reason to dislike something, but a reason all the same.

“It’s cold outside. You’ll want a jacket.”

“We’re going outside?”

“Morning run.”

“Fuckin’ preem…” There was nothing preem about running in the crisp morning air.

“You will come to enjoy it.”

V wants to argue. She wanted to call him a masochist, but things between them were already tense and uncomfortable, so she held back. The wrapped is balled up in her fist and tossed into the garbage as Oda finishes putting on his running shoes. Adjusting the strings for the hood on his jacket, he stands and makes a gesture towards the sliding glass doors that lead outside.

V stands with him outside and takes a moment to look at the compound grounds. There always seems to be activity outside, although there are very precious few people at the moment. Oda and V are not the only ones who are out for a morning jog, but they either don’t notice the pair or don’t care.

“How long?”

“Long.”

Ugh, this asshole and his short answers.

“How far?”

“Far.”

“Gettin’ real sick of your shit, you know that?”

“I’m aware. Keep up with me.”

Something about his dismissiveness gets her blood pumping hot, but before she can really let him have it, he is taking off, setting a steady pace. V has little choice but to follow along.

**Transition**

Oda is not far from her, watching as she winced and wobbled. He probably thinks this is hilarious. V caught him smirking a couple times when she looked at him. If she could, V would deck him outright. Just once. A good pop in the mouth, bust his lip so it hurt every time he tried to smirk at her.

They trained past lunch time, and it’s afternoon now. V was starving, but she doesn’t mention it for fear he’d prolong their training past dinner time. Although she might not even bother trying to make something for dinner. Her legs are crying for her to just lay down.

“I’m not gonna live to see the end of the week…”

“Have you been taking cold baths?”

“No. You were serious about that?”

“I do not joke, V. Take a cold bath. Tonight and every night until the soreness ceases.”

This man is a complete sadist. Who would subject themselves to that kind of torture? It only makes sense to her for netrunners to submerge themselves in it. Cold helps keep the body temp low, counteracting the risk of being fried alive.

“It’s either that, or we get the foam roller.”

“What’s that?”

Oda granted a pause, his lips pinching to conceal a… grin? Something about it made V’s stomach very queasy. Dread fell over her as he went to collect a blue, cylindrical roll of dense foam. He instructs her to lay face down, and she hesitantly complies.

V presses her right cheek to the gym mat and clenches her jaw, setting it tight as he lowers down to his knees beside her, in plain view for her as well. He applies the roller to the back of her knee and guides it up the back of her thigh--

“Fuuuuck me!” The soreness in her thigh intensifies with the pressure and she starts digging her nails into the flooring. Or, she tries to. “Ow! Ow ow ow--stop! Stop!”

The torture stops. The grin on Oda’s face isn’t hidden or held back this time. He holds the foam roller under an arm and sits back on his heels.

“It’s either this or the cold bath. Which would you prefer?”

“I’ll take the fucking bath…”

Oda brings himself to stand on his feet and he puts away the dreaded foam roller. V takes her sweet time rolling onto her back, taking a second to pull out her holo and text the only contact she has.

 **V:**  
I hate your apprentice

 **Takemura:**  
Oda is a professional. You do not have to like him to show respect.

 **V:**  
Professional asshole  
Thats what he is  
When are you coming back?

 **Takemura:**  
I will visit when I am finished with my current assignment  
Until then treat Oda as an extension of me  
Do not antagonize him

“Stretches. Let’s go.”

A drawn out sigh exhales from her lips and she glares towards the little screen, and then glares towards her trainer. The phone is stowed away in a pocket and she pushes against the mat, sitting up slowly. V does nothing to hide the pain, she gripes outwardly, but avoids whimpering as much as possible. She’s so sore. Her thighs and calves feel like they’re gonna burst. Thank God there aren’t a lot of stairs here, she’d never make it up them.

Oda sits down out of arm’s reach and stretches his legs out, feet together. V mirrors him, stretched forward, and reached for her toes as he did. She held out for as long as he did, and didn’t complain when her thighs and calves tighten up.

“Hey,” she became curious with a stray thought, “you looked into the results from my physical exam?”

“Mm. I did.” He leaned away, sitting up straight, and began to spread his legs wide. V tried her best to do this, but suddenly became very aware of the tendon attaching her legs to her groin. Oh God it’s tight…

“What did the results say?” She tried to pull her legs as far apart as possible and leaned forward as Oda did, palms flattening against the floor.

“Where to begin…”

Dick.

“You have very weak ankles.” Well, she prefers to think they’re sensitive, but-- “Your hips are also weak. Your grip strength is poor. This is natural for women, however, so it’s nothing out of the norm. I would still advise strengthening your wrists. Your posture is also terrible. You should practice relaxing your shoulders more.”

“Yeah well--all that could be fixed with implants and augments.”

“If you are nothing without cybernetic modifications, you do not deserve them.”

There it is again. Takemura said something similar, and she can’t help but feel some bitterness rise inside. Contempt. V feels like it’s not fair, but she also remembers she isn’t paying for any of this. It’s all covered and paid for by Takemura, so she knows she doesn’t have much ground to stand on. What can she argue? She doesn’t have the scratch to pay for her own upgrades.

If she at least got a datajack, she could fix that. Granted, she’s not sure how much she’d be able to get if she hacked local systems. Might end up pissing off Goro in the process of breaching security systems. Probably best if she went somewhere outside the compound.

“Hey, where the hell are we, anyway?”

Oda pushes away from the flooring and draws his feet together, but keeps his knees apart. V mirrors his butterfly stretch and tries to block out the pain.

“South of Okayama. North of Kawaga.”

“That’s where Takemura is, right? In Kawaga? Takamatsu?”

“Mm…” He confirms only with a quiet, wordless affirmation.

“How far is it from where we are?”

“Far.”

The one-word answer brings her eyes to roll and her spine haunches forward, physically drooping before Oda’s cold eyes.

“Within walking distance?”

“No.”

“Driving distance?”

Oda sighs audibly as he switches to a new stretching position.

“Do not bother Takemura-san unnecessarily. He is busy with more pressing matters.”

“Well it’s not like I know anyone else here. Everyone I know is in the US.” As far as she is aware, at least. Maybe she could happen across Kerry if he toured in Japan, but she has no idea how far she is from Tokyo, or if Okayama is the type of city that would be ideal for concerts. Reflecting on this, she’s growing increasingly aware of how out of touch she is. Out of her depth.

“What’s Okayama like? What’s there to do?”

“Mmh…” Oda is either thoughtful, or ignoring her, and she can’t tell which. She’s following along with his stretches, watchful, waiting quietly as she stretches her tendons with him. “The Korakuen Garden… It is very popular with tourists. Nishigawa Canal Park is less busy, worth seeing.”

The things he’s listing sound incredibly domesticated… and boring.

“Okay, great place to take the old folks, got it. What about the nightlife?”

Oda’s glare felt like a slap in the face. V isn’t even looking in his direction but she feels it stab into her. What’s that look for?

“You need not concern yourself with such things.”

“Come on, I’m just curious. It’s not like I’m gonna go on a bender or anything, I just wanna know.”

“Japan is not a land of degenerates. It consists of proud, honorable people.”

_You and your sick sense of honor._

Something blindsided her. A weird deja vu. There’s a large, dark room with scaffolding, under construction. V straightens up prematurely, staring at Oda with her mouth gently gaping. It came and went quickly, but she’s unable to properly organize the bits of memory that popped up.

Oda notices her blatant staring and sits up with her, his pale brow creasing with some impatience.

“... Why are you staring?”

V closed her mouth and then shook her head, her mind returning to the present.

“It’s nothing.”

**Transition**

“Please, I’m begging you…”

“Staying idle will make it worse for you in the weeks to come. Get up.”

“I can’t…”

“You can and will!” The sheets are forcibly pulled from the bed and V’s body slowly curls up, shivering briefly. Thankfully, she doesn’t sleep naked, but…

“What the fuck…” Her tired protests are ignored.

“You are unbelievable. Get up or I will force you.”

“I can’t, my body hurts. I’m a delicate meatbag with no cyberware--”

“This is your last warning.”

“Mercy…”

The covers are completely removed, leaving her nowhere to hide. She opens her eyes briefly and watches him approach her side of the bed--bend down--grasp and **yank** the sheet her body rests on, effectively undoing the bedding and hauling her off the supreme comfort mattress--and she **drops** to the floor--

“Fuck!”

“I am leaving and coming back with a cold glass of water. When I return, you will either drink it with your medicine or wear it.”

V looks up to the man, glaring up at him from her pitiful spot on the floor.

“... You wouldn’t dare.”

The two exchange looks. Oda turns away and exits her room. She swears she saw the hint of a smirk before he turned away.

… Fuck, he’ll really do it.

The scrappy woman pushed herself from the floor and felt the pain shooting through her biceps and triceps. Today, she finally moaned out her pain. Everything hurts. Her body’s screaming at her and she wants to give it the rest it craves, but any second Oda will return and make good on his promise to splash her with cold water.

“Hhgh--fh--fuck me…” She braced the side of the bed as she brought herself to stand. A moment is needed before she can make her way to the bathroom. She’s applying toothpaste when Oda finally returns, stopping by the threshold to the bathroom.

The glass of water is set down on the bathroom counter. He leaves a granola bar with it. “You have five minutes.”

V is suddenly panicked, speaking with a mouth full of foamy mint in her maw-- “Wha? Buh wha abou showah?”

“Showers are for after. No more delays. Outside. Five minutes.”

An audible noise erupts from V, gargled disapproval that she can’t properly articulate because of the toothbrush. He wouldn’t stay to listen to it, he’s already gone. She knew where to find him once she finished, though.

V rinsed, popped open the pill bottle, and swallowed her capsule down.

At least she had enough time to eat and relieve herself…

V pulls out her holo and furiously types as fast as she can with her thumbs.

 **V:**  
Im gonna kill him

The threat is honest. It’s real! She’s not bluffing. Takemura has no idea what she’s suffering through. How could he leave her with this sadist?

If her body ever recovers from the tenderness and soreness, she _will_ put an end to Oda’s existence. No remorse, no second-thoughts. Just not sure if she wants to do him quick and easy or slow and thorough.

As she leaves her abode and limps towards the sliding glass door, her holo vibrates.

It’s Goro. Who else could it be? No one else has her digits.

 **Takemura:**  
Please do not kill Oda. He’s doing what he feels is best for you.

A small smile creeps up and she lingers by the door, ignoring the glare she can feel coming from the man being discussed on the other side. She types quickly…

 **V:**  
Fine. No killing. What about bludgeoning??

The little dots at the bottom of the screen tell her that Takemura is in the middle of typing a message. Through her peripheral vision, she can see Oda approach the glass door. She grips the handle preemptively to keep it shut.

 **Takemura:**  
Behave.

Before she could get a witty reply in, she felt inclined to open the sliding door. Oda was, as usual, somewhere between his neutral indifference and mild annoyance. Her holo is stowed away and she puts her hands together in a sort of “praying” motion.

“Sorry--sorry, I’m done. Let’s go.”

Oda adjusts the zipper of his jacket and starts heading along their usual route.

“Takemura?”

“Who else?” Suppose if she really tried, she could get in contact with someone from Night City. There’s Judy… She’s one of few people who would really care to hear from her. River? He, uh… Suppose she could’ve been more honest with him about things, but in her defense she was dying and juggling a million other things--

Oda is leaving her behind. Truthfully, V isn’t exactly eager to hustle. Her body is begging for her to stop… Oda only makes it a small distance before he looks over his shoulder and realizes the pitiful place she’s set for herself.

“You haven’t been taking cold baths.”

“I… nh--I totally have.”

That’s an absolute lie, she hasn’t and she doesn’t intend on getting in a cold bath for anything.

V continues to struggle, trying to increase her pace but grimacing in her efforts, grunting in a most unattractive way. She eventually catches up alongside Oda, his patience visibly thin as she makes such a pathetic, sad display.

“If you can’t keep up, I’m going to make you run twice as far.”

“What?! Why?! I’m… I’m trying, what the fuck?!”

“You limp like a wounded animal. Keep up with me or run double the distance.”

Before she can swear at him any more, he is already jogging ahead. A flourish of spite fills her from deep below as she glares at the back of his head. It hurts mostly in her thighs, and already she’s become short of breath, but she’s gripping her hands into tight fists and forcing her legs to widen her steps.

It is a punishment she never endured before.

“Hurry up.” He calls out without looking back.

V tries. Goddammit does she fucking try.

**Transition**

The sun is threatening to break over the horizon. There are hills as far as the eye can see. Oda never went this far before. He forced her to follow him up an incline. Half-way up her legs actually collapsed underneath her, thighs feeling like they were going to explode. Her knees and ankles really were that weak, weren’t they?

After falling a few times, she managed to pull herself up to the top of the incline where she could see the hills properly. The forest was decorated in fresh greens and a soft, crisp breeze was rolling by. After she stopped heaving and got the strength to stand straight, she unzipped her jacket and looked out to the West. The clouds are kissed with warm colors, oranges and yellows and pinks. After she stopped gasping for air, she was able to appreciate it better. The noise of her panting died.

Silence…

After a moment passes, she is able to hear the wind playing in the branches.

The wind’s cool caress is a welcomed relief when it finds the wet, sweat-covered patches of her skin, enough to cause a shiver to ripple through her fleshy form.

Oda is not far. He had been waiting for a while, observing the sky and waiting for the sun to rise. He says something, or at least she thinks he does. Unfortunately, he’s too quiet. For a second she thought her translator glitched--but no, she doesn’t have cyberware or anything like that.

“What was that?”

V looks towards him, the back of his head, but he merely shakes his head. When he turns to face her, he resumes his formal, cold professionalism. “Back to the compound.”

A heavy, obnoxious groan rolls out of her and she turns to follow suit.

**Transition**

There’s a lot of stuff to watch on the vids. Unfortunately, everything is in Japanese… and V is not too fluent in the language.

On the brightside, she can stream all kinds of stuff to the TV in her room, so after her session with the cruel sadist, she curled up in her bed and turned on the flatscreen, and found something on her holo. No one would know that she’s watching children’s shows, right? No one would care… It was the most ideal option for her, because she couldn’t see herself tolerating one more relentless instructor in her teachings.

What better way to learn than by watching simple, elementary children’s shows?

It wasn’t to her liking, but V paid close attention to the phrases and the words, the tone in which words were said, and watched for clues. She’s pouring serious focus into this with the hopes that it might impress Takemura. If she can speak his native language, imagine how impressed he would be.

He might start seeing her as an equal. Possibly someone more than a friend. Are they friends?

For a moment, she considers calling him. It’s very late, though. He told her to call if there was an emergency. Can she call just to talk?

V just wants to talk.

Although there’s a small voice in her head telling her not to, V pulls out the holo and pulls up the only contact she has saved. She’s been meaning to fix that… She thinks she remembers Judy’s number. Maybe Kerry’s, but why would he answer a number he doesn’t recognize? … Why would anyone?

Checking the time first, she presses a button and holds the tablet to her ear, sinking deeper into the bed. A few rings. Maybe he won’t pick up. Maybe he won’t answer.

The ringing stops--

“V? Is everything alright?”

“Uh… Hey.” She rests the holo on her shoulder and stares towards the screen, the only light source in her room. “Everything’s fine. I just… Just wanted to check in.”

“It is late. You should rest. I understand Oda has you getting up early.”

A small chuckle, “He reports to you, does he?”

“Often.”

… Fuck, what has he been telling Takemura?

“Well, I’m in bed anyway, so… Not like I’m staying up late or anything.”

“Good. Have you been taking cold baths after your sessions with Oda? He expressed to me that you are reluctant. Understandable… They are not pleasant.”

“... No.” Why lie to him about something like that? She can already imagine the lecture coming on.

“You should. Your body will thank you for it.”

V pursed her lips, frustrated with how the conversation was going.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll do it. Hey, uh… I’m close to Okayama.” She says it as if he didn’t already know it. “I was wondering if maybe we could go there sometime. Like, see the… gardens, and stuff.” V feels particularly lame making that suggestion. She doesn’t really care about flowers and shit, does she?

“Okayama… Mm, it’s supposed to be beautiful in April.”

“Yeah, so… Take me there.” V shuffles awkwardly in her bedsheets. Her face feels hot. “... I mean, I hate being all cooped up. Like, I feel like… There’s no where I can go, you know? Like I’m in a… snow globe.”

“Mm. I see.” V hangs on the edge of her holo, just hoping that he would go along. Humor her, maybe. “It is a beautiful city with old roots. Perhaps next time I visit, I will take you.”

“Really?” Will he really do that? She’s getting too excited over something like this. Part of her understands that Takemura won’t do it out of--he’s not… is he? Does he? Maybe feels a little--

“I will not make a promise I can’t keep, but I will make sure you visit Okayama when the cherry blossoms bloom.”

He will?

V feels like a child. Something warm is in her chest… Something else comes to mind.

“Thanks, Goro… Hey, you know what’s funny? I haven’t felt any weird heart rhythms since I woke up.”

“That is good to hear. The doctors said your heart chambers were very weak from excessive stress.” For a moment, she recollects specific memories. Childhood, friends she lost. Jackie. Misty. “It is good to hear you are adapting well…”

“What else has Oda told you? Did he tell you about my weak ankles?”

Something about the way she asked--her phrasing--made Goro chuckle. A rare thing. She doesn’t remember him laughing often. A bundle of excitement takes over her chest, distracting her from the dreadful thoughts of the past.

“He tells me your ankles and knees are weak.” God, nothing could be more true. She’d pay anything for someone to just rub her ankles. Just the ankles. They’re not sore like her thighs and calves. What she wouldn’t give…

“I guess he’s not wrong. Never noticed how sensitive they were before. Always had implants, ya’know.”

“Better now that you learn your limits without implants. Understanding your weaknesses and limitations is key to unlocking your potential… Should there ever be a time where you are stripped of your implants, you will not be at a disadvantage.”

Her fingers nervously fidgets with the sheets, enjoying the texture, the softness.

He thinks of her, in little ways, doesn’t he?

“Goro… um…” Wait, she knows the word.

“Yes?”

“Uh… Arigato.” She pressed further, “Arigatogozaimashita.” Fuck, she thinks she may have butchered that one. It’s a mouthful, really. “You didn’t have to. Don’t have to. You know, doing all this.”

“I am a man of my word.” V turns on her side carefully, squishing the holo between her ear and the pillow. “You endured much, and proved you are more than a simple, petty thief.”

… That might’ve been the nicest thing he’s ever said to her.

Her heart is beating strong and fast as she smiles. No doubt her smile looks stupid and awkward. A wetness is developing in her eyes.

“You should rest while you can. Oda expects you to wake early.”

“It hurts… Everything hurts and it’s hard moving in the morning.”

“You will manage.” He assures her. “Goodnight, V.”

“Oyasumi, Goro.”

**Transition**

“I can’t…”

“Do it.”

“I… I can’t.”

V stands for verge. As in, on the verge of breaking.

Does he know? Is he aware that she’s close to collapsing? Forget that--she’s collapsing. Now. Right now. She is flattened against the mat and barely manages to twist onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

She can’t stop panting. V can’t stand. Can’t even manage push-ups at this point.

“You’re quitting already?” He comes into her view, looming like a tower. She feels no shame or humility as he stares her down with disapproval and disappointment. Can’t summon the energy to fight or argue.

“Lay it on me, Oda. Get it out. Get it over with.” Pile it on, Oda, she’ll take that over one more second of this torture.

“... No cold baths. Not even ice packs? Are you really that determined to go against your best interest?” If this Arasaka dog had fur, his heckles would be up. He bares his teeth in a blatant sneer, but V isn’t afraid. What’s the worst that he’ll do?

“Yep, just… let it all out, asshole.”

He wrenched his lips closed and then disappeared from view. V cranes her neck a little to see him walk through the door into her personal abode. She relaxed on the mat… closed her eyes… No, she’s not tired. She’s just weak. She won’t bother trying to stand. She won’t try to do anything.

Maybe Oda gave up and went home.

Maybe he took mercy on her.

V closed her eyes and believed she was safe for the time being.

More time passes…

Then she heard the door open again, but not close behind him.

She felt him standing over her, and she opened her eyes to Oda once more.

Fuck’s sake, what did he want?

V’s eyes shot open as he lifted her up from the padded floor. Much as she wanted to, much as she squirmed, she didn’t have the strength to get out of his hold. He not only picked her up bridal style, but then he helped her up into the air and then she was over his shoulder.

“Put… put me down!”

He ignored her, walking briskly to the door.

“Just--fuck, put me down! Put me down, dammit! Hey!”

She was carried through the kitchen-dining room, into her room. Into the bathroom connected to her room. Then suddenly she was set down, roughly, into something frigid and icy.

V gasps, startled, horrified.

It’s so cold she can’t breathe.

V is clutching the edge of the tub, chest rising and falling fast as she looks up at Oda with shock.

He is not amused.

“Hhwhh--w-what the fuck--”

“Cold bath. Appreciate that I’ve done this much for you.”

She struggles, trying to get out. It’s just shallow enough that she can have her head comfortably above water, but there was nothing comfortable about any of this.

Oda shifts away. The lid of the toilet is set down and he seats himself comfortably, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. A side-long glance is made towards V, who struggles to adjust to the shock.

Her body, overwhelmed with weakness and soreness, cannot pull her out of the tub. For all the shock and terror her body is experiencing, she can’t haul herself over the ledge, and so she is stuck. At least Oda was thoughtful enough to allow her to remain clothed, but this… this is a new low for V, and she can’t do anything. She just… has to stay.

After she settles, the water stops sloshing about, and she focuses on her breaths.

The panic takes a long time to go away. It keeps her chest and ribs tight. All of this is… wrong, feels wrong. When she looks at him, her eyes quietly plead for him.

Please. _Please make this end._

He either doesn’t understand her silent eyes, or doesn’t listen.

His hands come together and he stares down at the tile while she takes a few moments to recover and adjust.

“... Cold helps the blood vessels to constrict. Improve recovery time. Reduce inflammation.” Slowly, his hands are starting to wring together, but his eyes will not lift from the floor. “Did you think it was a jest? A poor joke? It is essential to your recovery that you perform this ritual… Why do you think we stretch when we get into the gym? When we leave the gym?”

V wasn’t expecting to be scolded. Not by Oda, of all people.

The merc fluttered her lids for a moment and then eventually closed them. A numbness was taking over, and while she didn’t want it… she didn’t like it… she’s willing to endure it. Well, she doesn’t have a choice, but now she’s beginning to settle in it.

“I-it’s so cold…”

“Five or ten minutes of suffering _now_ will take away the suffering in the future. If you just listened in the beginning, we wouldn’t be here.”

“M-my nipples are hard enough to cut glass.”

… Oda looked at her with disbelief, shaking his head at her crudeness.

“This s-s-sucks…”

He leans down a little, pinching the bridge of his nose… He carries on the silence for as long as he can. V isn’t sure how long she’s supposed to sit here, and isn’t sure how she’s supposed to get out of the tub. She has a strange feeling that Oda will manhandle her out and probably throw her onto the told tile floor.

Before all that happens, though, she’ll take the chance to ask a pressing question.

“Why do you hate me?”

Oda sets his jaw as he looks at her, his fingers weaving together and his elbows still on his knees. He waits for her to explain.

“I may not be smart but I’m not dumb.” Um--what-- “You hate me… Why? What the fuck did I do?”

The question presented seems to catch him by complete surprise. He did not answer her, though. He’s working his fingers, working the knuckles, wringing his hands. His expression is impossible to read. Strangely, it’s his eyes that offer more. V feels like she could read them, if she tried. Or… maybe not?

Maybe she can’t read them, because he’s operating on a different level. Different mindset. His thoughts are there in his eyes, but she doesn’t know how to decipher them.

She dared say the magic words she hates to say. She hates to say, because it’s painful to utter. V apologized.

“Whatever I did, whatever it was, I’m sorry.”

The anxious wringing of his hands slow to a complete pause. His eyes do not waver from her.

… Well, she reasonably assessed that it meant something to him, even if she can’t remember what she was saying sorry for. If it takes an apology to make someone get over something, she’ll spit it out.

So she spits it all out.

“You’re probably not a bad guy… I don’t think Takemura would speak of you so fuckin’ highly if you weren’t. So, there’s that.” V grips the edge of the tub, trying to sit up. “You’re the real deal, alright, but--whatever I said or did… get over it. Please?”

Oda sits up straight, his hands on his knees. His eyes divert from her, seeking something on the floor. For once, he’s the one looking awkward and strange. Then it melts. What glimpse she had into him, it was gone. He was once again stoic and icy, but he hasn’t left yet so hopefully her words wouldn’t fall on deaf ears.

“... For the first time in my life, I’m trying to color within the lines. Can you… meet me halfway? Or something?”

He does not answer…

… V feels on the verge of surrendering. Since she’s sitting upright, she takes the chance to rub her thighs with her hands. Clothes are soaked. She’s gonna have to change. It’ll feel like she’s walking around in weights, but she needs to try and get out.

Carefully, she tries lifting herself from the tub. Tries to stand on her own feet.

Oda stands as well, helping her by gripping her upper arm and keeping her stable until she can maintain balance. V grunts quietly and shivers as she stands, quaking all over. A towel is produced and pressed to her frame haphazardly. Then Oda steps aside, closer towards the door.

“Lactic acid has built up in your legs and arms… That’s what is making you sore.” He clasps his hands in front of his frame, speaking matter of factly. “That is why you’re feeling,” he gestures towards her body, “what you’re feeling… Tomorrow, we will use the foam roller and cold baths to alleviate what you’re feeling.”

“Thanks, I’ll fucking hate it.”

“Wake up early.” He says sharply. “Before you go to bed, take a cold bath…”

“Does that mean we still have to work-out tomorrow?”

His expression, built on indifference, is stoic like before. His jaw is set, though. V isn’t sure if she’s seen him set his jaw like that before.

“Just wake up early. Do not test the limits of my generosity, V.”

He turns to promptly leave, but she limps a little after him, clinging to the towel she has wrapped around her shivering body.

“What was it?” She called out to him as he tried to make a fast exit. “What did I do?”

Oda turns, looking at her directly.

“You know… uh… What did I do to piss you off?”

He places his hand against the doorframe of her little bedroom, in a hurry to leave but feeling in a weird spot, more or less. Oda blandly tells her. No sugarcoating.

“You jeopardized Hanako-sama’s safety.” He disappears beyond the threshold and V is left working her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to remember something that never happened. Something she can’t really recall. What was the context? What happened that brought her to such dire lengths?

… Maybe Takemura can enlighten her when he comes to visit her again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone said something about "Bladerunner vibes" and I just want to say... hey, there are a lot of subtle pop culture references I throw in when it feels like it won't break the immersion.
> 
> I am slowing my roll because yes, you are right, I do need time to cool down between posts. I don't want to burn out before I'm done. Most of the stuff that I have written already is just plain lewd, but I do need to focus on the writing between those lewd points.
> 
> ... So, can I ask you guys outright? I wanna get a feel for the audience before I post something I can't redact: Oda. Do you get bottom or top vibes? Vers? Switch? I won't voice my preferences, I just want to know what majority thinks because it WILL impact the future lewd material.
> 
> If it doesn't fall in with what I have already, I'm just gonna post my stuff on the side as an extra. As a little treat. You know, because we can serve Sandayu Oda in many ways. This is fan-made-fiction after all. No one can stop us.

**Transition**

“Think I’ll still be limping by the end of the week?”

“Depends.”

“On?”

“Keep taking cold baths and stretching.”

V needs a change of pace. She’s anticipating a change of pace. The flowers are on the cusp of blooming, which means she’ll get to see the garden in Okayama soon. It’s not a date, probably. Takemura hasn’t shown interest in her in that regard… but V could dream, couldn’t she?

“You’re distracted.”

Fuck, she hadn’t been counting--how many push-ups did she do?

Oda caught her mind wandering. She briefly passes him a glance and lowered down, laying flat on her stomach. There’s still some weird tension between them since she apologized for shit she doesn’t remember doing--completely valid if he didn’t want to forgive her--but at least Oda’s lost much of the bite to his venom.

Still looks at her like he’s not above suplexing her, but with way less coldness than before. Is this progress?

“I’m gonna go to Okayama.” Oda stops in the middle of his set. “With Takemura.”

Her personal trainer lowers himself down as well, body at rest. He’s never taken an interest in any conversation she starts. Never really asked her follow-up questions. Now, there is interest.

“What is Takemura to you?”

He rolls onto his back, and V follows suit with her hands behind her head. She tries to count her sit-ups as she talks.

“I don’t know… uhh, a really close friend.”

“Mh.”

There’s a tight feeling around her heart. It’s not coming from physical stress and exertion. V tries not to think about the source.

“I don’t wanna be walking funny all around Okayama.” She’ll look weird. People will stare at her. The risk of embarrassing herself and potentially Goro is high and it shakes her confidence. Oda isn’t particularly comforting, either. He may as well be a wet blanket at any given time.

“All I can recommend is you ice yourself thoroughly, before and after.”

“Yeah, yeah, inflammation and lactic acid and stuff.”

“There will be a lot of walking, and it will be cold.”

V’s mind is going from place to place, distracted by all manner of possibilities. Fuck, how many sit-ups has she done? She’s lagging behind and V can feel Oda gradually losing his patience, but they’re approaching the end of their session anyway, or so she thinks.

Oda remains seated on the mat, looking at her expectantly. He’s quiet, like usual, but she has been in his company for long enough that she can somewhat gauge when he has something to say. When he’s holding back.

Or maybe he’s just silently judging her for her inability to be consistent with counting her sets.

“What’s on your mind?”

He stretched his legs out, feet together. She does the same, straining to touch her toes.

“You worked together while he was evading Arasaka as a fugitive.”

“Yeah, it was hard for him being a stranger in a strange land. Said the food tasted like sawdust and plastic. I don’t think he adjusted well to the city… Fish out of water.” They change positions, legs spreading, leaning forward again to stretch the tendons.

Takemura wasn’t meant for Night City.

“But the two of you are strictly… friends.”

V doesn’t understand if this is supposed to be a question. Was he implying something? Or is he expecting her to confirm this? How much further clarification does he need?

Why is her face hot?

Because of exertion, obviously--she’s been working out all day, so naturally her face feels hot.

“Yes, we’re friends.”

V worried her brows together and focused on stretching her legs. Her trainer stands prematurely, abandoning her to stretch on her lonesome. She turns her head and watches him divert to the equipment tucked off to the side of the gym. He collects the foam roller and starts making his way back.

Oh no, not the roller.

Recently, Oda has begun to apply the foam roller to the end of their workouts. V despises this recent development in her training, but Oda insisted on including it. It’s… a painful addition, to say the least.

It’s not just painful, though. It’s awkward as hell. Why is it awkward? Hmm… Maybe it has something to do with the way in which the roller is used on her.

“Why you askin’ anyway?”

The former-merc leans back and stares up at the ceiling, trying to imagine herself somewhere else. V pulls her legs closer together as Oda lowers down, knees pressed into the floor mats. He takes the foam roller and applies it along her legs, with even and consistent pressure.

“It’s unusual.” He begins the dreadful and awkward process of rolling the foam across her tense muscles. “I do not know what Takemura sees in you.”

V was trying to ignore the situation happening, the roller that was going from her shins to her thighs. She was ignoring Oda as he worked up her legs and inevitably had to shuffle up, invading personal space--

“The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

“Takemura-san is a refined, honorable man.” That fucking word again. Honor. Always with their fucking honor-- “He would not be one to meddle with… with…”

“Go on. Say it.” She’s wincing as he applies more pressure, trying to keep her grunting and griping quiet. “You already started saying it so just finish it. He wouldn’t meddle with someone like me, or something.”

“... You are a troublesome woman with a checkered past, V. Turn on your side.” He shifts away and she twists to lay on her side, trying to disassociate from the physical pain and awkwardness. He started from the shin again and worked thoroughly, steadily, gradually going towards the thigh.

“What’re you trying to say?”

“There is no polite, subtle way to broach the subject.” He is worrying his brows together, eyes fixed on the task at hand, trying to work the roller onto the IT band in her leg. “Things between you and Takemura can only remain as they are now. This arrangement will not progress further. You are aware of this.”

“You know what…” V is distracted by the strange pressure rolling across her thigh, attention divided now. “That shit’s none of your business.” She leans up a little, spine becoming stiff as she gives him a little side-glare.

“What we do or don’t do is none of--”

“That’s not what I mean. Turn, face-down.”

V flattens on her stomach and glares at nothing in particular, her ears and face particularly warm.

He begins from the back of her shins, thoroughly rolling the foam against her calves. “Do not mistake his attention for affection. He is a traditional person with traditional preferences.”

“What, you’re saying I couldn’t bag him?” She squirms against the mat, equal parts frustrated and uncomfortable as he rolls the foam along the back of her thighs. V balls up her fists, cringing. “You don’t… You don’t know that.” She pushes her forehead against the floor, something in her mind beginning to throb and a familiar tight feeling wraps around her chest.

_Make your own path. Make it with me..._

“What does that mean… What--like, he’s only interested in traditional women? What the fuck is that?” She squeezes her eyes tight as the pain builds in her skull.

_V, some things are not so simple..._

“Conventional... Poised, graceful, humble… Kind and proper.” There is a term for what Oda is describing, but V is ignorant because… “Also, Japanese.”

“Oh, there it is… This is because I’m a foreigner.”

“I only mean... much would be in your favor if you were Japanese.”

“I’m done.” Abruptly, V pulls her legs away and she pushes against the flooring, standing up. “I’m calling it. Session’s over.”

Oda opens his mouth to protest, but merely exhales into the air. V was in no mood to listen, and her trainer wasn’t going to waste his breath. They have done enough for today, the session was nearly over anyway.

He collected his gym bag and left.

**Transition**

Morning came and V was in the unfortunate habit of greeting it early.

Fucking Oda and his early-bird routines--she can’t even sleep-in anymore--

Getting up this particular day was difficult, but despite her aches and pains, she hustled into the bathroom, performed her morning rituals and emerged from her bedroom quarters. V had to eat something before Oda arrived and barked at her for not being ready for their usual morning run. He’d been generous with his protein bars but they weren’t actually filling. Working out sucks on an empty stomach.

Arasaka sees fit to stock her with basic food groups, so she’s been taking full advantage and started cooking in the morning. It’s mostly eggs. She doesn’t listen to her trainer often, but she understands the importance of protein in her diet as her body builds muscle mass.

When time comes for her morning run, she finds herself still seated at her dining table, browsing the web, observing the news--Night City news, though, not local news. Maybe she does it out of nostalgia or habit. Maybe she reads NC news because it’s in English and it’s easier. Or she just misses certain parts about NC.

Not the murder or drive-by shootings or lootings--but she misses other things about it.

Maybe she’ll call Judy.

V notices the time. It’s four minutes after their scheduled run. A little voice in her head tells her it’s no big deal. There’s a disturbing feeling hanging over her head, though.

She stands up from the table and slides open the door into the gym.

No one.

There is another door in the gym that leads out to the remainder of the compound, although it’s detached from the compound, only connected by a groomed pathway.

V bolts across the gym and opens the door, but before she could get out properly, she nearly collides with--

“Goro!”

They both awkwardly stagger, avoiding any impact. V’s panic is exchanged for relief. Elated. Hopeful, excited--

“I apologize for the delay-- !!”

Without warning, she envelopes him swiftly, arms securing around his torso.

Hands rest gently against his spine and her head tilts down, forehead pushed down against Goro’s chest. His body locked with tension momentarily, but the stiffness in his shoulders relaxed and his spare hand came to her upper back, a bag held firmly in his other hand. V pushed firmly forward, concerns forgotten as she drew in a deep breath to sigh with relief. She didn’t intend to breathe in his smell.

There is the barest hint of oak and the dull hint of citrus, bergamot or something. Fresh linen from his clothes. Warm. All the worries are forgotten, distracted by the warm weight of his hand that is pressed between her shoulder blades.

V takes a half-step backwards, getting a proper look at Goro who was, of course, dressed well-- “I didn’t know you were coming. I would’ve made breakfast, or something.” She steps back further, lingering by the door frame.

“I wanted my arrival to be a surprise.” There’s a tempered smile given. V returns with a broad grin, turning into the gym with Takemura following close behind.

They arrange themselves around the dining table and Goro sets his bag down, beginning to withdraw the contents--

“Can I get you something?” Fuck, she should learn how to prepare… tea, and… tea etiquette for when he comes to visit next. V leans against the table as she looks towards many pieces of folded fabric Goro removes from the bag, silently hoping he won’t ask for hot tea.

“Ordinarily I would start my day with gyokuro, but… you would not have that here.”

She wouldn’t know what that is, anyway.

“Yeah, I just have water and instant coffee… milk, I guess… Hey, what’s that?” She was eager to swap the subject. “Did you… buy me clothes?”

“Yes. You will not walk through the garden in sweatpants.”

“Fuckin’ preem…” V’s eyes light up as he extracts a simple sweater and places it on top of what she believes to be a pair of jeans. While it wasn’t her style, V couldn’t complain. Why would she? He was thinking of her, and he really didn’t have to but he did it anyway. She feels a small rush as she collects what he set down, inspecting the sizing.

“Thank you…” Takemura thinks of everything. “I’m gonna go change.” V quickly makes her way into the bedroom and leaves him, if only to reemerge a short time later.

“How soon are we going?” V fumbles with the collar of her sweater anxiously.

“We can leave when you’re ready. There is much to do in Okayama. First stop will be a small diner outside of the city. It specializes in what you’d consider… American food.”

_He is a traditional person with traditional preferences._

“No--” She walks around the table and stops at a corner, a few feet shy from him. “No, I… I want, you know, the… traditional Japanese cuisine.” He looks a little quizzical as she tries to plead her case. “I mean, we’re here, not in the States. I wanna experience Japan.”

“V, are you not homesick?”

“From the way I see it, there’s nothing to miss… Could say I miss a couple chooms, sure--but Night City? Nah… Don’t miss the stench, the ads, the food… I wanna go to all the places you would go, if you were going to hang out in Okayama for a day.”

Takemura is thoughtful for a moment as he looks down, but eventually his attention lifts back up. “An easy change of plans.” He didn’t need much persuading. “Are you ready?”

“Fuck yeah.” _Traditional._ “I mean… Yes.”

**Transition**

Much of the day was spent with light conversation, friendly banter. Good food, good company. It’s not her preferred method of “fun”. Having tea at a cafe, walking in a large, expansive garden for hours, enjoying simple, traditional dishes and sampling Okayama specialties--apparently the peaches are noteworthy, but they’re not in-season.

There are no depraved, explicit advertisements at every corner. There’s no obnoxious sound effects, no manic drivers. People aren’t shooting each other in the streets, no muggings or robberies.

The lack of chaos is weird. The absence of it leaves her in a state of suspicion. It wasn’t until dinner that she really relaxed.

Takemura assured her Okayama is relatively tame, as far as cities go. He assured her that she wouldn’t see excessive violence here.

But V could identify characteristics of a seedy underbelly. She came from Night City, after all. Goro just doesn’t notice the little details. No, Okayama isn’t a shiny, clean city of upstanding morals, but it’s pretty tame all around.

The day spent with Takemura was great all around. The food was unlike any she ever had, he escorted her along a canal that was littered with pink petals, which may have been the highlight of the day. He even bought her some traditional garb, and she wore it out of the shop. It felt awkward because the dress didn’t allow her to walk with normal stride. It felt… restrictive.

V didn’t complain, though--Takemura said she wore it well.

She wanted to tell him a few things. V almost said it when they were walking by the canal, but held back. She almost said it over dinner, after they’d finished their main course and awaited dessert. She came so, sooo close to saying it when she asked him to buy her that tea he said he liked.

Not the place… not the time.

There was a lot of walking, though.

It was a little chilly… No surprise there, given that it’s early April.

Why did she bother getting tea? She doesn’t even care for tea. Can she even make it, let alone serve it?

It’s something she’ll try to learn in between Goro’s visits.

The drive back to the compound was quiet and dark, but V kept her eyes open and on the road, trying to commit landmarks and road signs to memory. These details were etched into the wrinkles of her brain so she might be able to recall them later at some point. The absence of conversation permissible, if only because she was trying to focus on memorization.

For the first time, V got a good look at the compound as they were driving in. Granted it was night time, but it’s well-lit. There are no fences from what she could tell. If there were surveillance cameras, she didn’t see them. Realization came to her that this marked the end of their day.

This is the end of their adventure and she’d probably see Oda tomorrow, bright and early.

V feels crushed by the gravity of tomorrow, and it hasn’t even come yet.

She questioned how long Takemura was going to stay, but she was able to figure out he wasn’t going to be with her much longer; when Takemura parked the car, he didn’t turn it off. The engine was still going when he unbuckled, and when he opened the door, and it would suggest to V that he might be merely dropping her off at her front door--

“Hey, wait--” Suddenly she reached across the center console and caught him by his sleeve, “--uh, let’s… Why don’t we chill here for a sec?”

“V?” He settles back into the carseat, his hand lingering on the door handle for a moment before he gently closes it. There’s much she hasn’t shared with him, but it all feels trivial and unimportant. She’s looking towards him as she controls her anxiety, gingerly pinching the fabric of his sleeve between thumb and forefinger.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately.” She’s been avoiding taking on the heavy conversations up until now. She’s working her way into the deep end. Baby steps, V. “When I was on the orbital station, you came to see me.”

“Ah, I see… I’m unaware as to how much you do or do not remember, V. Is this something you have forgotten?”

“It’s just… fuzzy.” V feels herself losing her nerve. Her hand secures Takemura’s wrist in a gentle squeeze. “You said Hanako was willing to reserve a spot for me in the Save Your Soul program?” She awaits confirmation.

He nods, “That is right.” His eyes have fallen to her hand.

“But I had to sign a waiver, or something? Surrender my rights? So my… duplicate is… My engram is Arasaka property.”

“Is that all you remember of our conversation?”

V sets her jaw and gets the bravery to look at Goro more directly. He, in kind, takes her hand from his wrist. Holds it in his hand. A lump is suddenly in her throat. She’s suffocating quietly on it.

“I will safeguard you, V.”

The toes in her shoes curl and her hand tightens around his.

“Until a time comes which I can no longer help you.”

_I give you my word, V._

There’s a small, focused pain inside of her head. She can’t remember it, but she knows Takemura said it. A fuzzy promise, but she can recall the sound of his voice when he said it. V’s mind is distracted by the sentiment, she almost gets derailed by her own emotions.

“So this Arasaka compound… The training sessions, all of it? Is it really paid by you or Arasaka?” She pulls her hand out of his, hardening her expression. “I doubt they would be keen on just letting me live here without something in exchange. Since I’m technically Arasaka property, that must mean… they’re getting something out of all this.”

Altruism isn’t real.

“You… are correct with that conclusion.” His head turns forward and his eyes fall on the wheel before him. “There is a follow-up program that Arasaka has been experimenting with the last several decades. Cloning is the primary focus. Few cases have been successful. Duplicating the human body is not easy or simple, even with technologies of today. The most common issue has been cancerous growths and biochemical imbalances…”

“So, I’m like… a lab rat? Some kind of… test-tube baby?”

He furrows his brow and gives her a soft glare, “That is a horrible perspective to have. You are something closer to a miracle of science.” A shining example of Arasaka’s potential. Fuckin’ preem.

“I’m Arasaka property, but I’m in your custody… I don’t know what to make of that.” V’s tone has become flat. “I don’t know what to make of any of this.”

“V, see this as an opportunity. A chance to start a new life.” Straightening her posture, she looked towards Takemura again, who seemed to be pleading a little. “You can begin again. This time, you will begin in Japan. No more Night City slums, Night City violence--corruption and filth.” He means these words. He looks so angry at the mention of that place. “Take advantage of this new beginning. You have so much potential. Do not waste--”

“Arakasa is the one running this operation, right?”

The look he gives her is all the confirmation she needed.

“Alright I… gotta go.” Without warning, V opened the passenger door and stepped out, collecting the bags of swag that Goro had got her over the course of their not-date.

“V?” She heard his door open as she found the walkway that leads around the compound, diverting from the main path to go towards the smaller compound that she took residence in. She is in a bit of a “state” but not well enough to engage in further discussion with Goro.

V’s being really fucking cowardly right now.

“V, wait.” A little tremor of panic is nipping at her as she recognizes Goro following her along the pathway to her section of the compound. Why is she panicking? It’s just Goro.

Well-- V really wanted to be chased by the old man, this is not quite the context she wanted it to happen.

“We’re done talking right now.” By the time she got to her door, she was able to conjure it open just before Goro could properly close the distance. She turns around on her heel and looks to Goro, who stops abruptly. She commanded him without words to cease, and so he stops. Obediently. Not unlike a dog.

 _Don’t be tricked by that Arasaka dog, V--_ Goddammit her head feels like it’s splitting.

“I don’t feel like talking anymore.” The bags of souvenirs, clothes, tea--she drops them on her side of the threshold. “Conversation’s over. You can go back home to Takamatsu or wherever the fuck you have to go.”

It looks as if he’s about to say something to her.

Either out of fear of the unknown or fear of something she didn’t want to hear, she closed the door and stepped back, anxiously wringing her hands together as her mind took off. Thoughts run rampant, going off to foggy places.

_Loyal only to Arasaka. Don’t fall for his pretty eyes, V._

More of that pain is blooming out of her head. So intense her ears are ringing. As V cradles her head in her hands, she looks down to notice the traditional Japanese-influence garb she’s wearing. What is this? What is she wearing this for?

The pressure in her skull continues to build as she starts undoing the wrappings, the soft fabric of a foreign dress coming undone as she walks across the gym floor. V sheds everything except for her barest of garments on her way to her bedroom and all the while, she’s struggling to keep her skull from cracking in two.

_The fuck did you think was gonna happen?_

Some familiar echo is coming from some place far away. She’s scared of what it could bring with it. V’s not sure why she’s scared of it but her instinctual response is to run away from it.

_I’m trying to save your soul, V._

The pain is deafening.

It stays with her as she crawls into the bedding and hides her head under the pillows until blackness envelopes her.

**Transition**

“No sleeping in. Get up.”

V whipped her head up and she recognized Oda’s unimpressed visage straight away. He tosses the pillow back as she stares at him, gawking. He combats with his own furrowed brow, pale as it was.

“... Uhh--I… fuck.” She presses her hand to her head, the pain dull but marginally better than before. It feels like her mind is out of alignment once more, but it’s being reeled back in. She’s shifting carefully, pulling her legs over the edge of the bed.

Oda suddenly stands fully erect and makes way towards the door--

“Get ready. You have five minutes.”

Why did he leave in such a hurry?

V notices not long after he left… She’s in her underwear. V clicks her tongue when she realizes what could’ve caused his abrupt exit.

She’s not sure if she should feel embarrassed or find his reaction endearing.

“Back to the usual scheduled torture, I guess…” V pulled herself out of bed and forced herself through her morning rituals. When she finally emerges from her bedroom and into the dining area, she is met with an uncomfortable, disgruntled Oda. For all her time spent with him, she found him so hard to read. Right now, though, it’s clear to see something is bothering him.

“... Did you enjoy yourself?”

“What?” This is obviously a trick question.

Oda gestures to the gym door. She’s still not with it, so she opens it and inspects the gym. Her clothes from last night remain where she left them. V finally catches on--

“No, it’s not… That didn’t happen. Nothing happened.”

Her face is scalding. He is quiet. His arms are folded and he clearly doesn’t believe her.

“I was tired, I had this huge fucking headache--just… stop looking at me like that.”

V went into the gym and began collecting the remains of last night, inevitably returning back into the dining area with a bag of items. They were swiftly placed on the table. V took yesterday's clothes and placed them in a hamper near a closet door not far from her bedroom and made a sharp return.

The cybernin is passively interested in the bag of goodies she had brought in, but doesn’t ask questions. Even as she begins pulling out a variety of items but one is of strong importance to V. She sets down a box on the dining table and looks up at Oda with unparalleled severity. Gently, she pushes it towards him, trying to strengthen her resolve.

“Sandayu.” His attention is grasped firmly. She has never called him that before. “You’re gonna help me figure out how to make and serve hot tea.”

The disbelief shows as he lifts his pale eyebrows and looks back down at the box. Curiosity takes root. He picks up the box with both hands, inspecting it closely.

“It’s gyokuro...”

“I know.”

“It’s expensive.”

“Great observation there, Oda. Help me with it.”

A dry stare is granted in return for her forward commands. He sets the box down. “I will not. I am only here as a personal trainer.”

“Please.”

“No.” Oda was absolute with his decision and wouldn’t give it anymore thought as he started heading out the sliding glass door. Despite his flat-out rejection, V isn’t going to accept his blatant refusal. She’ll wear him down. It’s just a matter of time.

“Okay but what if I said… please?” She hadn’t forgotten about the events of last night, but she was still determined to impress the old man. Any way that she could, really.

“You already did.”

This morning, she was able to keep pace with him, even all the way up to the peak of the hilltop where the sun was waiting to greet them. The run felt shorter than usual, but she didn’t notice it until she was already back at the compound and unzipping her jacket in the gym.

“I think you’re ready for an equipment upgrade.” He states passively as they begin performing the typical sets. Lunges, reverse-lunges, burpies, plants, push-ups, sit-ups-- Somewhere in the midst of it all, she was able to recognize it herself. She’s not struggling to keep this pace, although admittedly she can’t go on for nearly as long as Oda.

“What kind of equipment?” For some reason, she doesn’t think he means cyberware.

“Training bars… Vault, pommel horse, climbing rope.”

“Like acrobatic shit?”

A quiet sigh is released, often made whenever V says something that wasn’t refined or politely stated or asked. Surprising how he doesn’t just sigh at every little thing she says.

“Yes.”

“You’re gonna have me start doing flips next?”

“If you are capable, yes.”

“You know, I might be a more agreeable student… if you teach me the ways of serving tea.”

Oda looks sidelong at V who is giving him her best polished grin. He is not so inclined to go along with her antics, but she has been pleading this case all day. Quite literally. Most of any conversation devolves into…

“Please?”

… this tea fixation she’s adopted. It’s worth noting that they don’t really talk much to begin with, but still.

There is obvious disapproval in his face, carried in his every move. It was especially prominent in his tone. “Fine.” V seemed surprised initially, but then she felt… dangerously smug. It’s good to know that there’s a limit to Oda. He’ll cave, eventually, if the question is asked enough. Oh, this will not bode well for the cybernin.

“Fuck yeah.” V is quick to get on her feet, her energy renewed somehow.

“After stretches.”

“Oh--” V suddenly sits back down, preparing to join him for the next twenty or so minutes left after stretches.

Making tea at the end of the day will be a welcomed change, probably.

**Transition**

There are various items in front of her, and it’s very important she understands what order and sequence to use them in. V was confident she would breeze through this… but her confidence was gone the moment the hot water was prepared.

Now she stares at the arrangement of items before her, nervous and uncertain.

Oda is seated on the opposite side of the table, looking entirely unimpressed, as per usual.

“Add hot water to the cooling vessel.”

What the fuck was the cooling vessel? V was absolutely rigid as she reached for the tea pot, but wasn’t sure where to take it. Oda does not offer aid, he merely stares at her expectantly as she tries to piece it together. It’s not hard, though. There’s only one thing he could be referring to, and it’s the dish that is not-ideal for tea consumption. If anything, it reminds her of a… gravy boat?

But, it’s obviously not for gravy, and the nose is much wider.

She pours a portion of water into it, the steam rolls out gently from the surface. V sets the tea pot down--

“Did you notice the stream?”

“What stream?”

“... The stream of water that pours out. It’s a steady, smooth stream. If the stream that poured out was messy and splattered everywhere, it would suggest your kettle or pot was poorly made.”

“Oh…” She quietly murmured, and poured a little more to check the stream. It was a very smooth pour. Satisfied, she set the pot down again and looked at him for guidance.

“The bamboo dish…” She looked towards the curious instrument that was clearly made of bamboo, but didn’t seem to have any practical purpose in the manner of liquids, as it had no sides to keep liquid in. “That is the chagou. Take the tea leaves from your container, and measure it with the chagou.”

“Measure it… H-how much is too much or too little?”

“I will tell you. Just sprinkle until I tell you when.”

She opened her container of gyokuro and inspected the contents. It’s dark… Dark herbs? Leaves? She held the chagou in her off-hand and gingerly sprinkled the gyokuro tea along the bamboo, careful as to not to use too much. Oda lifted a hand, “Enough,” and she set the chagou down gingerly, and closed the tea container, setting it aside.

“Pour the water from the cooling vessel into the pot.”

“But it was just--”

“Do it…”

She poured the water back into the tea pot, her face hot.

“Now the pot is warm. Pour the water into the tea cup to warm it up.”

“Alright but…” She does so, although she makes a face while she does it. “Is this really how it’s done? This seems silly…”

“Now take the measured tea from the chagou and put it into the tea pot.”

“But it’s empty now! All the water is in the tea cup.”

“This is how it is done.”

V holds mistrust for Oda as the tea leaves are poured into the empty tea cup, and taps the chagou gently to make sure all the remnants are collected within it. Then it is set aside, and she looks at Oda with anticipation.

“More hot water is to be poured into the cooling vessel.”

“I don’t understand why there is this tea pot for hot water, and the smaller pot--why is the smaller pot the middle man in all this?”

“Had I known you would question thousands of years of tradition, I would’ve said no.”

“Fine! Fine fine, okay, sorry…” She pours more hot water from a larger kettle into the cooling vessel, holding back her frustrations.

“Now pour the water from there into the small pot again.”

God, this was a lot of work for some fucking tea.

“The water that is sitting in the tea cup. Discard it.”

V clenches her jaw, thinking to say something… but she doesn’t.

“Try to rotate the cup with the water still inside before you discard the water--” V abruptly tosses the water over her shoulder, her patience growing thin. Oda maintains a level gaze. He is not anymore amused with this game than she is.

… He continues, “Using hot water in advance equalizes the temperature. Check the temperature by touching the bottom of the tea pot, and when you feel it is adequate, pour the water from the tea pot into the cup.” She follows his instruction, and before she lifts the cup-- “Place the lid on the tea cup to keep it warm… and set the tea cup on a saucer before serving.”

This whole arrangement was complicated. More than it needed to be. V set the cup before Oda and suddenly sat down, watching him expectantly.

“Itadakimasu...” He held the tea cup a certain way, but she would not recognize it. It would go on unnoticed.

It is incredibly silent as V watches him sip from his cup soundlessly, raising it just slightly higher than his face. She straightens up her posture when he sets the cup down. He must be aware of her focused attention, even though he will not lift his eyes up to meet her. Oda knows what she is going to ask.

“Hm.”

V’s brows lift as she waits, and waits… and waits some more.

He says nothing now that he is finished, and begins to stand up from his chair.

“... That is? That’s all you’ll say? _Hm?_ Oda.” She follows him around the table as he makes his way towards the exit. “Say more. Tell me it was good. Or tell me it was bad. Tell me you hated it! Something, some shit--I need this.”

“It was adequate.”

“Say more.”

“There is little else to say.”

“For fuck’s sake--I’m busting my balls here, could you give me a little something? Helpful criticism?” She reaches for his arm, but pulls back immediately out of concern for her health. She doesn’t feel ready to challenge him, and she has this distinct feeling that if she crosses a line, he won’t hold back.

He is already partially out the door, but to keep him from crossing that threshold, she slams her arm into the doorway and plants her palm against the doorframe. He cannot cross. Oda is mildly surprised.

“How am I supposed to improve if you don’t help me?”

His surprise fades and he defaults to his bored, indifferent state. V is only encouraged, raising her voice a little.

“I’m trying to adjust to fit the mold. Fuck, is this an honor-thing or are you still all bent out of shape for that thing with Hanako?”

Oda’s not surprised, but shocked this time.

There is a distinct difference between shock and surprise.

V slams her palm angrily against the doorframe to get her point across, “It was a parade, right?!” He witnessed the muscles in her jaw flinch when she clenched her teeth. “Is that what this is about? I said I was sorry. Are you gonna keep holding that over my head??” It felt like they were staring eye-to-eye for the first time. He’s looking at her, as she is, for the first time. So is she.

“Jesus, Oda, I understand wanting to hold onto grudges but… you gotta get over it. I don’t remember what happened, so maybe my apology didn’t seem genuine--but I really want to put Night City behind me, you know?” The anger diffused into something else. Something with a little desperation. “I forgot a lot of shit, but I don’t want to revisit it. Can you just treat me like… any other dumb foreigner?”

Oda turns his head away and tries not to roll his eyes. Lips pinch together. V can tell he’s thinking, she’s just not sure what. It feels like she could learn to read his thoughts if she paid more attention to his face, but it’s… difficult.

Now it is Oda’s turn to clench his jaw.

“It will take practice… to understand proper etiquette.”

Visibly he can see V’s narrow shoulders relax.

“... If you are more agreeable in the sessions to come… I will tolerate… etiquette lessons with you.”

“... Was my tea that bad?” V’s arm falls down, granting him access to leave.

He does not answer. Sandayu leaves, and V stays back to watch him as he shows himself out. From where she stands, she doesn’t feel like she won with him… but it was something of a victory, even if it was small and subtle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys seeeeeee? Other people are writing Sandayu Oda/V stuff. I'm feral for this. Absolutely FERAL. Thank you, fellow writers, for feeding this addiction.

**Takemura:**  
I would like to continue our discussion

V spent most of the morning adjusting to the weights Oda instructed her to wear on her wrists and ankles. It was a standard workout. Towards the end of the day, men came and assembled something in the gym. They seemed the sort of bars that athletes use for acrobatic practice. Other apparatuses were installed.

It was easy to keep her mind away from Takemura. The new installments provided distraction. At the end of their evening, though, Goro was at the forefront of her mind. He occupied her thoughts as she went through the motions of tea preparation for Sandayu.

Takemura’s substitute didn’t spare her feelings when critiquing her pitiful attempts at serving tea.

It was late when she checked her holo. She read his message that morning and had nothing to say. Now, having a second look at his text, she still had nothing to say.

V put her holo on silent and watched Japanese children shows in an attempt to brush up on the language. She fell asleep with the screen on.

**Transition**

**Takemura:**  
I would like to continue our discussion  
At your earliest convenience

V read the message, but did not have anything worthwhile to say. Indecisiveness greets her first thing in the morning and she finds herself sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at the screen until eventually it dims. It dims until it turns black. She anxiously toys with the holo pad, feeling at a loss for words.

She contemplates the situation as she ventures into the bathroom. V begins her usual routine, but strictly enforces the use of her off-hand. From here on out, she’ll brush with the off-hand, operate with the off-hand, and try to commit herself to using strictly the off-hand.

As observant as Oda is, he didn’t notice this change until later in the day, when the session was over and she was beginning to go through the steps of pouring a cup for him.

“... That is not your dominant hand.”

“It isn’t.”

“Explain.”

V was about to tell him the logic behind her thinking, but recalled how short and clipped he likes to be with her. She recalls how aggravated he gets with her. She recalls the many times he only gave one-word answers. Ah, and she recalls when he explained to her how she did not fit the mold of a “traditional woman”.

“No.” Is she being petty? Maybe. Possibly.

“... Until you can be more dexterous with your off-hand, focus your attention instead on following the steps properly, with your other hand.”

Although she’s not usually interested in taking his advice, she did agree with his reasoning.

V saw Oda off after “tea practice” and once more she is left with no distractions. Nothing to keep her mind from going back to Takemura. Every time she looked at the holo, he came to mind. V was at a stand-still, and couldn’t bring herself to check her messages. Mainly because she is a coward.

Regretfully, she activated the screen and saw a new notification. A new message. Wonder who that’s from.

 **Takemura:**  
I would like to continue our discussion  
At your earliest convenience  
Are my messages getting through?

A little puff of laughter came out. Takemura probably doesn’t know what “ghosting” means. Does he know she’s ignoring him? Something tells her those kinds of petty games are beyond an old dog like him…

_Loyal Arasaka dog--_

A sudden stab came into her brain, taking her by surprise.

There it is again.

V focuses her attention on the screen and struggles to think of what to say. She awkwardly handles the holo pad in her off-hand, thumb hovering over the little keypad but… V ends up tossing it towards her pillow, and she surfed for children's shows to watch.

**Transition**

**Takemura:**  
I would like to continue our discussion  
At your earliest convenience  
Are my messages getting through?  
V please respond. I do not like how our conversation ended. How can I make amends?

At this point in V’s petty game, she doesn’t know how to converse with him.

What did she want from Goro?

It’s been a few days. Maybe now is the time to put her thoughts in order. It is established that she is Arasaka property, and that her real-self died already. She’s only a duplicate. This brings into question her authenticity, her legitimacy, and beyond that she is property of a corporation. From a legal stand-point, she has no rights.

It’s like she’s just an object. Is she even in Goro’s custody? Or would it be better to call Takemura a “handler” of Arasaka’s product?

V exhales a long sigh over her inner struggle. It’s too early in the morning to think such heavy thoughts. It’s time to end the childish game.

 **V:**  
Am I still human?

A tense feeling is carried in her chest as she stares anxiously at the screen. Dots appear at the bottom of the screen. He is typing.

 **Takemura:**  
You are.

 **V:**  
But I am Arasaka property.

She stares for a while. Either Takemura got distracted, or he is also stumped by this quandary, and can’t comfort her further. The two conflicting statements become the main focus. She carries these thoughts all day, reflective and thoughtful.

Oda likely noticed, but he is not inclined to ask. It’s not distracting her from her drills. Her performance isn’t suffering, therefore he does not bark at her.

Today, V’s especially thankful that her trainer isn’t nosy.

**Transition**

**V:**  
I want a datajack.

 **Takemura:**  
I will see what can be arranged.

 **V:**  
If I don’t get a datajack, I want some goddamn money.

 **Takemura:**  
What do you need? I will pay for it.

“Dammit, no--I don’t want you to _buy_ me shit, I want…” V held in her frustrations as the sliding door opened to reveal Oda. He is looking like his usual self, frowning with some disapproval over the former-merc who was still typing away on her phone.

 **V:**  
I wanna buy my own stuff

She stuffed her phone into her pocket and started without him.

“I’m gonna finish before you.”

“It isn’t a competition.”

“That’s usually what people say when they’re losing.”

Oda was not amused.

V seemed to be exceeding in her training at a surprising rate. He was expecting a slower progression, but she possessed the youthfulness of someone half her age. It’s a stark contrast between where she started and where she is now.

Two weeks had passed since he instructed her to start wearing weights during their sessions.

He didn’t anticipate her wearing them all the time, or increasing the weights on her own.

Physically, she’s going above and beyond his expectations. In all other aspects, she is becoming more insufferable, if that’s even possible. If it weren’t for Takemura, he would’ve pushed for an alternative assignment. Somehow, he let himself be talked into it.

There was friction between them. Oda doesn’t hide his dislike for her, but he’s come to tolerate the graceless woman. V tests him, though. She tests his tolerance every day, in many ways.

**Transition**

Takemura made an appearance at the end of the week. This time, he gave V a couple hours notice beforehand. It was about noon when he walked into the gym. He arrived just in time to witness V haul herself up on a bar.

Last time he appeared, she was eager to see him. This time, she still carries some of that excitement… but it’s muted now.

Oda and Takemura bow to one another in greeting. V thinks to do the same, but doesn’t.

“From what I hear, you are making swift progress. It is good to hear you’re doing better than expected.” Tame praise from Takemura coaxes out a strange feeling. She feels like something inside is swelling with pride. Much as she wanted to roll up her sleeve and give him a peek at her “guns”--

_Traditional._

\--she stops and thinks. What would a poised, proper woman say in V’s situation? She feels awkward and strange, suppressing her natural responses. She wants so badly to gloat, too. Oda observes quietly from the sidelines, hands collected behind his back as he stands idle.

“When will I be eligible for cyberware?”

Takemura brought his hands together before him, “You’ve been cleared for standard datajack install.” V masks her elation as best as she possibly can, clenching her jaw and bringing her hands together behind her back. “Other implants are available as well, but anything beyond basic is not obtainable for the time being.”

“Optics?”

“Of course.”

“Contraceptive implant?”

Takemura gives pause.

Before he bothers asking, she makes her case, “I’m human, Goro. Flesh and blood, fully functioning… The whole package.” V is careful not to look amused with the topic of conversation, even though she secretly enjoys the subtle awkwardness that’s cropping up from Takemura… maybe Oda. “Is it wrong to practice caution?”

“Uh, no…” He seems tight-lip suddenly, and maybe the tiniest bit flushed. “I will see if this can be arranged…”

“Good. How soon can I get the implants?”

“We could leave for Okayama today, if--

“Yes!” The calm composure drops and V adopts a more lively disposition. “Can we go right now? No, wait… No, I’m sweaty. Shower, and then we can go?”

Takemura gives her a plain nod, and she turns immediately, making a B-line for the door.

Takemura and Oda finally have a moment to talk privately, in their native tongue.

“How has she been as of late?”

“This week, we have introduced acrobatics into the routines.” He nods towards the bars. “She’s taking to it well. Her strength and agility has improved, as you are aware. Without my suggestion or direction, she has decided to involve additional weights and wears them in all her activities. I anticipate she will be ready for endurance training in two weeks. Perhaps hand-to-hand at the end of May.”

“How is her general disposition?”

“Grating.” Oda glanced down briefly, lips pulling together thoughtfully before he looked towards Takemura once more. With practiced professionalism, “She holds you in high regard.”

It is Takemura’s turn to avert his attention.

“... I have been discouraging so far, but it appears her motivations remain unchanged.” Oda pauses again, anticipating some kind of comment or response from his highly respected senior. It became obvious that Goro would not speak of the matter… so Oda did not press or linger on it longer than he needed to.

“Beyond this, she complains less and challenges me more often. Daily, I am subjected to… unnecessary banter.” He’s not even sure if he can explain it properly. His brows knot as he tries to find the words.

“Explain.”

“This morning, she tried to persuade me into a race. When I declined, she ridiculed me.”

“Banter and harassment…”

“Precisely.”

“From what I have observed during my stay in Night City, it is not uncommon to harass close acquaintances. Sometimes, it is an expression of affection.”

Oda does not seem impressed with the concept, nor does he take interest in dissecting the matter further.

“Outside of this daily harassment, her moods have been relatively stable and she shows no signs of aggressive or combative behavior. There are occasional headaches, but they are fleeting and far between with no obvious triggers or causes. Entirely random, from what I can assess. She eats regularly every morning with her medication.”

“I see… Please make careful note of these headaches going forward.”

“Yes, Takemura-san. Is there anything else?”

“No. You are excused today. Thank you, Oda.”

**Transition**

The drive up to Okayama was quiet and a little awkward. There are things left unsaid, business that hasn’t been dealt with. Neither Takemura nor V were terribly eager to discuss the matter. Takemura was stiff, as usual, but he’s mindful and polite.

He opens the car door for her.

He escorts her diligently to the elevator and leads her to the appropriate floor.

V didn’t notice it immediately, but she suspects Takemura imposes himself between her and strangers. Although, maybe she’s just imagining it. Maybe it’s just coincidence. She’s keeping her attention on him as they progress further into the medical facility.

The floor is glossy. It looks polished and neat. The smell is sterile. All this harkens back to her time on the orbital station.

Tension wraps around her chest as they approach a door in this lengthy hall that is sparse of people. Few people are scurrying around on this floor, which V does not think much of until Takemura opens a door and holds it open for her. Many people are inside. It looks like a fully operational lab of some kind.

“Takemura?” V looks back. Takemura closes the door behind himself and smooths a hand down the front of his business suit. Two medical personnels approach V, both dressed in scrubs. They have equipment at hand; one sports a datapad, another is handling something that looks like an anesthetic gun.

“I will stay and wait.” A small margin of relief comes, knowing Goro won’t be leaving her alone in a room full of strangers. “Please listen to their instruction.” His way of telling her, _don’t give them problems._

“Please sit.” V followed the women to the operating chair and reclined back. “Contraceptive implant needs to be installed in the left armpit. Would you please remove your shirt?” She follows direction and lifts her left arm. The anesthetic gun is applied near the area and the operating chair slowly reclines. “Keep your left arm above your head, please. Installments will begin shortly."

A third personnel has approached. A man turns her right arm over and sports a needle. He is feeling her arm for a vein. Why would they need to withdraw blood or fluids when she is here for implant installs? The anxiety creeps up her back and holds her tightly. V’s eyes find Takemura, who is seated quietly by the door.

He is the only anchor that keeps her from freaking out completely.

After nearly an hour, she was given the greenlight to leave. New optical implants, a datajack installed in her left arm, a contraceptive implant installed… She’s confident that she has the tools to function out on the streets without the help of Arasaka or anyone. V would be celebratory about it, but she’s quiet in the passenger seat.

Takemura takes her out to eat. Dinner is very quiet. He offers to take her to shops, like he did before. She declines. V is restraining herself, and Takemura is avoiding things all together.

Which is the coward and which is just plain stupid?

The question has been burning in her mind long enough, and her ride back to the compound is coming close to an end. She decides now is as good a time as any to ask.“What did I get my blood drawn for?”

“To check the white blood cell count.”

“Because…?”

“Your white blood cell count is helpful in understanding your immune system and can help identify potential types of cancers.”

“Am I at risk?”

“That is what the test is for.”

“... If they don’t call and tell me my results, then…”

“They will call if the tests identify something worthy of concern. Until they call, assume you are cleared.”

Like a normal doctor’s visit… Yeah.

They pull into the compound and she feels like her chance to broach _that_ subject is slipping away from her. Takemura exits the car. It’s still running. V sighs quietly as Goro walks around to the passenger side and opens the door for her. He helps her out with an offered hand.

V is escorted to the door and she turns towards Goro, arms folded as she pinches her lips together.

“What’s all this for?”

Takemura observes her with his stern, stoic face. Years of being in servitude to Arasaka, being a guard dog, has hardened his face. In all of his years of service, he’s perfected his battle-face. He’s probably been in many situations that tested his resilience. His resolve. So as V looks upon his face, she is looking at the face of a soldier.

Helplessly, she wonders if he’s ever allowed himself to just be a man, or if Arasaka trained him to be devoid of sentimental feelings.

“What am I here for?”

The tension in his brow is lessening.

“When this is over, what comes after?” These questions are heavy, even though they are quite simple in presentation. His silence is infuriating, she’s quickly made impatient. V bravely takes a step closer, “I want to know your plans and how involved in them I am.” She takes another brave step closer and, in this game of chicken, V wins.

Takemura’s eyes drift swiftly down, glaring at the space between them.

The tension is palpable. After what feels like aeons, he breaks his silence. Goro’s eyes have returned to her.

“I am a man of honor and duty, V. It is all I know. My life as an Arasaka operative is definite.”

A sick feeling starts to develop in her stomach as she observes the unwavering resolve in his eyes.

“My loyalty to Arasaka is unquestionable… I know no other lifestyle and I am too old to unlearn what I’ve grown into, but you… A space can be made for you here, V.” His brows have finally relaxed and lifted.

A weird feeling rests in her stomach. A sick knot. A festering sensation.

V is able to keep all of it hidden away, but little “tells” are easy for Goro to catch. V looks at him, but rather than seeing him, she is seeing through him. Her lips, usually neutral in color, are adopting a redness, a sign that she may be on the verge of tears. Much of her face is growing hot. Takemura carefully reaches forward for her hand.

It’s not the first time Takemura has seen a vulnerable woman cry.

“With time and perseverance, a space by my side can be established.”

V’s eyes return, no longer staring through him but now into him. Her lashes flutter, beating away the threat of tears that lined her eyes. Her hand, held in both of his with the utmost care, quickly slips out of his hold.

She is conflicted.

“Something tells me we have different interpretations for what that means.” Thankfully, V has the power to end this conversation, and so she does, before she absolutely comes undone in front of him. “M’tired. We’ll talk more later…”

V manages to gracefully retreat before Goro could witness her cry. She remained collected and calm, all the way to her bedroom. It’s getting easier and easier for her to fall apart over this man.

_I am a man of honor and duty, V._

_You and your sick sense of honor..._

_Please, V. Show him mercy..._

Blinking beyond the tears, she flattens on her back on her mattress and she recalls a parade. Fish floats. She really liked those. Then the heat of the mantis blades that nearly cut off her nose. V grips the bedding under her hands as she recalls busting a red visor and exhales sharply when she remembers Oda glaring into her very soul.

He was like a demon.

It would’ve been so easy to kill him right there, right then. At the time, V was prepared to do exactly that. Had it not been for Takemura...

**Transition**

“Are you well enough to continue?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I think I can keep going.”

It felt weird having a datajack again. Relieving, yes, but also weird. V finds herself frequently arching her wrist, flexing it so she can pop out the cord, just to close the palm-plate again. She knows she’ll stop eventually, but right now it feels novel. It’s something she can at least be happy about.

V felt a little soreness in her left armpit, too. That’s from the contraceptive implant. It’ll go away on it’s own, but it makes bar-handling difficult because of how her muscles flex.

New memories came to light. No, they’re not new. They just resurfaced. They were buried deep under the murky waters of her mind, and now that she recovered them, she observes Oda in a different light.

He knows something is different, but Oda can’t imagine what is different or understand why.

One thing is quite clear to him, though. She takes great pleasure in testing him. More than ever before, V’s pushing his buttons.

“I’m ready for hand-to-hand.”

“You are not.”

“Am too.” She unstrapped the weights from her wrists and casually tosses them off to the side. Each makes a hard thump against the floor when they’re discarded. V sheds the weights on her ankles next and adjusts her sweatpants a little for minimum resistance.

“You are persistent.”

“Some would say that’s a plus.”

Plenty of her aches, but not with the same intensity of her first weeks of training. It’s far more manageable these days. V’s confident she could at least surprise Oda.

Oda, who is not really interested in whatever predicament V is currently going through. The very same Oda who nearly impaled her with his mantis blades. The guard dog who growled when Takemura and V sought his help. Well, he’d make the ideal punching bag for today.

“I will not tolerate further disrespect.” He stands his ground as V approaches with an air of casualness about her.

“Disrespect? Just wanna shake things up a bit. Doesn’t always need to be serious, Sandayu. What’s the harm? … You scared?”

The question gives him pause. He didn’t know what to say. His hiccup in composure was noted. V finds herself brandishing a smug grin and something about the way she looks at him just rubs him the wrong way. He refuses to step back as V closes in on him, meeting her smug expression with his level, even glare.

“No wait, I get it. It’s not traditional? Not proper?” Would she really stand a better chance if she bent to fit that mold? V pulled herself back from doing any sudden movements, pausing before she got toe-to-toe with Oda. Being in such close proximity to him did nothing to alter his firm standing.

So she side-stepped casually, beginning a slow stroll around the Arasaka dog.

“A traditional woman wouldn’t cause friction… Wouldn’t give you grief.” His eye followed her carefully, but she went beyond his view as she rounded him. “But would a traditional woman be able to do half the things I’ve done?” She thinks back to the crazy shit she got caught up in and began to list off the ones that came to mind.

“Set off a huge EMP that caused a black-out… Did it to get Hellman’s AV out of the sky.” She has a bit of saunter in her step as she gloats. “Probably one of my most expensive gigs. Billions of eddies in damages, so I hear.” Her eyes trail down his broad back, and her mind went to River’s broad physique. The former-cop was taller, thicker-- “I hunted down a serial killer. Found out where he was hiding his little operation when the boys in blue couldn’t find any leads.”

V is almost full-circle by the time she comes to a finish, “I killed Adam Smasher.”

Oda tilts his head marginally so he could glare down his nose directly at the insufferable woman, his arms staying at his sides as he remains locked in anticipation for a move.

“A traditional woman wouldn’t have managed most of that if she were poised, tame… proper.”

“What is your point?”

“My point is, I get shit done! That’s more impressive than being traditional.”

“Is that why your heist failed, thief?”

The response was immediate but choreographed--she turned away and performed a quick reverse roundhouse kick to his center of gravity. He caught her foot on impact and kicked her leg out from underneath her. V never hit the mat so fast before.

Oda opened his mouth to make a brilliant comment about her poorly executed assault when V caught his ankle with her foot, causing him to fall backwards.

A flurry of arms and legs came. Oda was on the defensive and moved without a second thought, a quick roll to the side to avoid the heel that slammed down for him. He deftly maneuvered to evade another deliberate kick, but V kept after him. He could take a more offensive approach. He could fight back. He wanted to.

He would like nothing more than to strike her down and put her in her place.

Oda managed to get back on his feet to better block the onslaught of assault. She was notably fast. He brought his arms up to block her from attacking his face and stomach. When the punches connected, he realized she was a little stronger than he initially thought.

His fists were shaking.

Direct punches weren’t doing anything to get past his defense, however. She took a new approach, feeling bold and daring. Feet planted to the mat with a wider stance as she took hold of one of his forearms and committed her strength to the act, pivoting on a heel to suddenly haul him over.

V wanted to toss him onto the mat.

He wasn’t going to let her do that.

As she took hold of his forearm, he countered her grapple with his own hold. Her back is held to his chest and her spine arches as one of V’s arms is pressed to her lower back. It’s painful, but manageable. Oda’s other arm is free to secure around her neck, only intending to hold. If he wanted to, he could tighten his arm and apply pressure on the sides of her neck, slowing the blood flow to her brain.

It would be the easiest way to subdue her. He’d rather hear her admit defeat, though. That would be far more satisfying.

“Yield.”

“I didn’t hear no bell--” Her free hand was thrown back to grab his groin and squeezes.

Oda doubled and bent down, releasing her in favor of protecting himself. He shoves her away in the process and she stumbles down quickly. Palms brace the mat and she performs an immediate donkey-kick, sending Oda on his back once more.

Discomfort in his groin is the most pressing concern. Hitting his back against the mat was far less worrisome. He looks up to see her standing over him, preparing to stomp down. Oda tucks and rolls towards her supporting leg, catching it. Rolling his weight further, she is caught and forced to roll with his force and momentum.

V is faced down on the mat and Oda pushes his knee into her back, pinning her firmly with only his weight. Her cheek presses against the floor and she can be seen by the victor, her grimace obvious. She’s clenching her jaw. She’s in pain, but the weight is in her lower back and not on her lungs.

Squirming, she tries to throw him off. For all her writhing, she can’t. After a few more attempts, she simply ceases and tries to focus on breathing.

They both remain. Very still. Very quiet, with the exception of their fast breaths.

“Are you satisfied with your loss?”

“I’ve had better…” V comments in passing, although from the looks of it, she’s very tense. They both are. Wound up and eager, but Oda isn’t interested in roughhousing or horseplay. V could still go a bit longer, though. That is made clear to him when he began to lift his knee and she moved suddenly to prepare a move to knock him prone--

“Enough.” Both of his hands catch her forearms and pin her squarely to the mat.

Now, she can do nothing but ball up her fists.

The look on her face is telling. There is quiet anger under the surface. Her humor was a facade, a false bravado put on. Or maybe half-way through this pathetic scuffle, she actually got angry. Either way, Oda was in no mood to perpetuate whatever this was.

His breathing is slowing, returning to normal. He has to be mindful of her and wait for her desire for violence to dissipate. The anger melts and morphs, evolving to something else. Passive, compliant, but frustrated. Controlled rage, muted.

“I am better than a traditional woman.”

The crease in his brow is prominent and he appears thoughtful. V waits for him to say something contradictory. He never fails to disappoint when it comes to snide remarks or harsh observations. It’s hard to see him clearly from the corner of her eye, so she stops trying to judge this look he is giving her.

V is quiet as she glares forward, the fury in her arms relaxing and her shoulders lose their tension. Oda has not released her forearms quite yet, wary of her hands. They’re still tightly balled up into fists, but otherwise V appears calm.

After a carefully measured breath, he finally exhales with something.

“I’m going to put in a request for a punching bag… among other things.” Oda isn’t hesitant, but he is cautious when it comes to releasing her forearms. When she showed no signs or desires for swift aggression, he stood and stepped off to the side. V eventually shifted, moving to sit on her knees. She appears dejected and disinterested in him now.

This was not how she planned for things to go. The frustration she felt before is dull now but still remains. It’s distracting, but not enough that she can’t notice him. His eyes are, in a way, “loud” enough that she knows when he is staring.

As she turns her head and looks up at him, she has to wonder if it’s intentional or not. The choice for his optics. Did he choose them for the intimidation factor? Ice is left in the wake of his gaze. Does he know this?

They exchange looks, neither one looking at the other with contempt or malice. He must’ve felt that he’s lingered for too long, so he makes his way to the side of the gym.

“I am ending the session early.”

The door closes quietly behind him as he leaves and V exhales dramatically after a moment passes by, settling in the valley where frustration and disappointment meet. She did not get her frustrations all out. V still had much she wanted to let out.

V found her training weights and wrapped them back around her wrists and ankles, and set about doing her own drills and routines.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have no idea how much your comments mean to me. I even popped on my tumblr and saw someone posted my work? Promoted it? Like, what?? I'm still riding that high. You guys are so supportive and I appreciate it so much. Heck, dang, frick-- THANK YOU.
> 
> This chapter kind of got away from me, I realized I wrote too much at some point and figured I'd at least put some of it out before I polished the rest. Once again, sorry for mistakes you may find. I'm gonna edit/revise as I find my mistakes. Hope you like it. Also, there's a Sandayu Oda dating sim in the works? Maybe? Search for Sandayu Oda on twitter, the user is @TheArtOfDewa. Might be the cutest thing I've seen since ponytail-Oda.

If Takemura never mentioned to her that her body was basically replicated, V would’ve noticed eventually.

Having no implants was the first alarm bell that should’ve gone off. Not having optics to engage cybernetic equipment was weird. Having no datajack was awful. Getting her period was horrible, and she never wants to revisit that experience. Oda, the fucking genius, had no idea what cramps were until last month. _Thank fucking God for contraceptive implants._

The other tip-off was her sensitivity. V doesn’t remember being so… “responsive” to stimulation. If her flexible shower handle could talk, it would have a few stories to tell.

But a shower handle can only satisfy so much.

**Transition**

Thirty-four, thirty-five-- “Give me the digits to your holo.” --thirty-six...

“What?” Oda matches her pace on the pull-up bar. So far, they’re even for the count.

… Thirty-eight, thirty nine-- “Give me your digits. Your number?”

Oda grunts, hanging from the bar and passing a skeptical glance at her. “Why?”

He stops, so she stops, but doesn’t look at him. “Reasons.”

“No.” Oda drops down almost soundlessly. “If you are in need of me, Takemura will be the one to contact me.” V dangles from the bar and repeats what he said quietly. If _she needs Oda_ , how will Takemura know to _call_ Oda? There’s a leap in logic here Oda was overlooking. Further than that, if she needed someone, she would call Takemura, not his underling.

“You’re assuming I’d call Takemura… and have him call you?” V drops to the mat as well. The two exchange looks. Oda looked awkward. She didn’t give him a chance to correct himself-- “Fine. I’ll just tell you here and now. Don’t come tomorrow. Take a day off.”

“What?”

“Tomorrow? Don’t be here. Take the day off.” She took this pause in their drill as an excuse to get rehydrated, walking away towards the gym wall, where Oda’s gym bag and V’s personal effects reside. Oda is following behind, perplexed.

“... Why?” His question was flat with no upward inflection; he commanded an answer, didn’t ask for one.

“Don’t worry about ‘why’. Take a load off, get a hobby or read--whatever, just don’t come here.”

She should’ve said, _don’t come here looking for me._ In many ways, Oda should be thankful. V is explicitly telling him not to come here, although she isn’t explaining the why, and for good reason. Something tells her if she dared to let him in on her plan, he’ll try to stop her. She’s in favor of her own privacy, agency, and liberty, and she’s not confident she could get the smack-down on him.

Not yet, anyway.

Oda, you moron, you’ll be wasting your time if you show up here tomorrow.

“What are you planning, V?”

“Nothing nefarious. Just don't show up tomorrow.”

“I will be here.”

V scoffs, rolling her eyes as she drank in deep from her bottled water.

**Transition**

Sandayu stressed to her once more as he left that he **will** be at the compound tomorrow.

V watched him show himself out… and immediately showered and changed. Something breezy for the late-spring weather. Fun but not desperately revealing. That’s what she wore when she ventured out of the compound and began making her way from the private road to the public roadway. It was a bit of a walk, but the sound of passing cars on a populated roadway revived her courage.

No one’s going to blast any alarms over her leaving? Would seem that way. Is she really Arasaka property if she can just waltz out of a compound with impunity?

V feels a cloud of doubt hanging overhead, but she won’t let it stop her from hitching a ride to the nearest city.

Okayama is a beautiful place steep with history.

It’s still a city, though. Like all cities, there’s a seedy underbelly. Some are better hidden than others. Night City didn’t even try to hide it’s dirty business. A lot of it was done out in the open. Much of V’s life there was constant risk. Walking down the street, she knew it only took one stray bullet from a drive-by or a terf-war to end her very existence.

There are many ways to die in Night City…

Does she miss it? Hard to say. Part of her feels like Night City claimed her, in some strange way.

Lately, though, she feels like a boat with no anchor. Like she could just drift and it wouldn’t matter where she ended up. It’s a powerful feeling. V feels liberated, but also it’s kind of lonely. Lonely because she felt like she had no one, nothing.

It’s weird, adjusting to the realization that you’re all alone. Particularly after you had a monkey on your back for so long. The name of V's monkey was Johnny. He scared her sometimes. It terrified her when she felt like she couldn’t control her own fucking hands. They didn’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, primarily Takemura… but Johnny was wrong. Takemura was true to his word.

It was a frightening time in her life, and she didn’t like thinking about him. Made her head throb something awful. Even after he was cut-out like a tumor, he still plagues her.

V felt the pain flourish in her skull, “Johnny...” Is that a phantom pain or something else?

“You say something?” The driver looked up to the rearview mirror and V met his eyes.

Somewhere between the compound and walking towards the bustling highway, she happened upon a cab. Convenient for her, because she wasn't going to walk all the way up to the city. No, that'd take all night, and V wanted to enjoy the destination, not the journey.

She shook her head, “What? No, sorry.”

V nestled herself against the car door and looked out the window with increasing interest. Everything looks and feels different. Fresh and new. It looks nothing like Night City.

The driver took her to her destination, however vague it was; where the wild things hide in Okayama. The face of Okayama, modern but traditional and modest, melted away as he diverted from the more familiar uptown area. He took her downtown. Then he went a little further. Neon was more prominent here, some of the people were more casual here. Occasionally, a pop of color in the crowd of pedestrians. Someone dressed “loud” with a shocking color. Hair dyed and done-up in a provocative manner. Provocative by “traditional” standards.

“Wait, stop. Right here’s good.” V couldn’t contain herself. Couldn’t wait for the driver to pull-up somewhere. Yeah, the middle of the street was perfect, but he started yelling at her as she hopped out of the car.

“Hey! You gotta pay for the ride.”

Fuck, she was fresh out of scratch. No money to her name. V approached the driver’s window and tried to play it cool.

“Uh, yeah… Can I pay you later?”

“What?! No!” He was seen rummaging around in his car, groping for the center console. He wouldn’t pull a gun out on her… probably… would he? V wasn’t going to stay and find out--

“Pay up later, okay! Thank you! See you when I see you--”

“Wait! Stop!” V started running and she heard the car door open, “Stop! Thief!” He began shouting words she was only roughly familiar with during her exchanges with Tyger Claws. V hurried into the sidewalk, picking a brisk pace and weaving through bodies.

She disappeared among the mass of people, earning curious looks as she tried to politely excuse herself while pushing through the crowd. V really would pay him back later… when she came up with the scratch.

There’s a familiar noise that comes to her ears. The sound of little metal balls scattering about, the dings and rings of a successful win. V slows down to a stop and tries to locate it by sound alone, eventually following the sounds to a less-dense sidestreet. She inserts her hands into her jacket and browses along the store fronts, coming to stop in front of a pachinko parlor.

It’s not like Wakako’s parlor, but that’s the first person that comes to mind.

There’s a little boy standing outside by the door, arms crossed. She thinks about going in, but once more realizes that she doesn’t have anything to her name. Instinct tells her to address the kid as… well, a kid. A second look at him though tells her he is too serious to be taken lightly.

Nights of watching Japanese children’s shows has prepared her for this exact moment.

 _”Hey, is there an…”_ Children’s shows don’t teach children how to say ATM, do they? He frowns up at her, arms firmly crossed, sizing her up. Oh, wow. Talk about under pressure. V feels awkward as she tries to think of how to accurately describe what she’s looking for… before eventually just saying, “ATM?”

A dismissive eye roll, then he jerks his thumb down the street.

With haste, V approached the money-machine and arched her left wrist as she got closer. It’s been a long time since she’s breached through security systems, but judging by the state of the ATM, it looks like V isn’t the first one to try it. She tries her best not to seem suspicious, playing off extra-casual as she took a cursory glance up and down the side-street she found herself in.

She inserts the datajack and looks down into the little display screen. This might be hard, now that she’s hit a security wall. Standard ICE security measures. V braces her spare hand against the machine and stands a little closer to obscure the screen as she tries to work around the security wall, completely vanilla.

This was way easier when everything was it English.

“You need help?”

V stands straight and jerks her datajack out in a smooth motion, trying her best to look slick and unassuming. She meets eyes with a woman who is done-up, dressed for a night of fun. She’s wearing one of those transparent jackets that give off a subtle neon glow, but conceal nothing. The pretty stranger is leaning against the machine, very curious and interested in what V was doing.

Cute, unassuming, and too friendly for comfort.

“Nah, I’m… just a little short on cash.”

“Oh? You wanna make a quick yen?” Her English is spot-on, no accent detected at all. Wonder if that’s a common thing. V recalls how Us Cracks played up their accents and assumed it was for some kind of cute aesthetic. V isn’t entirely sure about that. She’s not entirely sure about this girl, either.

“... Depends on the job.”

The young woman adopted a ‘pep’ and flashed a cute smile--her implants capitalized on her soft dimples. V is getting incredibly suspicious of this woman, and she’s not sure why.

“Take a walk with me.” She pushes herself off from the machine and starts walking with a brisk pace. V wouldn’t say she was hopping. Not exactly. Bopping? There’s a notable bounce in the woman’s ponytail that is especially distracting.

Why does she feel like following a stranger down a sidestreet is a gonk idea?

“You’re not from here.” Oh God, V knew she was obvious. The sharks in the waters of Okayama pick up on the scent of fresh meat rather quickly, it seems. “That’s good. No affiliation with anybody.”

Not yet, anyway.

“Uh huh. No affiliation… You give me a rundown of your local ‘affiliations’?”

“Hmm… Are you familiar with Yamaguchi-gumi?” V simply shook her head no. “You will be. Their reach is far and wide. If you can avoid them, I suggest doing so… Besides them, the only gangs worth mentioning are the Gokudo and the Serpent Sisters. They have been fighting over Okayama territory for many years now.”

“And which one are you working under?”

“Take a guess…” She replies playfully.

The supposedly retired merc took serious stock of the girl strolling next to her, eyes rolling down her attire. Nothing obvious on her clothes, but looking through her transparent jacket, she noticed something wrapped around her upper arm. Now that V’s giving it a proper look, further inspection reveals it’s something of a snake, and the head of the snake rests near the junction of her shoulder and collarbone. That clears it up.

“And who do I have the pleasure of working with today?”

“Yuki.”

“V.” Yuki began to slow down, coming to pause near the mouth of a relatively quiet alley. They stand in a mildly busy side street, but looking down the alley, it would appear there is not a soul in sight. “Mind telling me what the plan is before I get in too deep?”

“Recovering lost property. Nothing too crazy… There’s a shard in the apartment on the fifth floor.” She gestures towards the building in question, “The window with the red light. Do you see?” There is, indeed, a window with a red lightsource. “Bring it back and I’ll pay you for the trouble.”

“Alright…” Sounds easy enough. V has done plenty of klep jobs before, so she imagines this will be no different from the others. Just to be safe, though, “Anything I should know about before I go in?”

“It’s my ex-boyfriend’s apartment… He might still be home. I’ll pay you a little extra if you rough him up, but the shard is the priority. No shard, no money.”

Great, a crazy ex-girlfriend.

“Got it. Hang tight, I’ll be back.”

V departs from the active side street and begins walking down the still, quiet alley. The sounds of life are growing distant as she approaches a door and shows herself into a narrow stairwell. How people managed to live in such small spaces, she’ll never understand. How do people even squeeze mattresses in and out of here?

It’s especially quiet now that she’s indoors and showing herself up a constantly rotating flight of stairs. Fifth floor, it was dimly lit. She approached a few doors and tried to assess which one belonged to the boyfriend. Now, if she could try to recall the placement of the window, and where it was in correlation to the stairwell door… it should be one, two, three… four…

A faint sound is heard as she passes a door.

V pressed her ear to the door and distinctly heard soft moaning, low cooing and sighs. She pressed her forehead against the door and immediately regretted her decision to help this mysterious, perky stranger. V was able to unlock the security of the door and silently, slowly let herself in.

The entire living room area is bathed in red, the lightsource coming from a string of lights that line the tops of the walls where it connects with the ceiling. The entire pad is a bit of a mess, but the red lighting hides most of the mess. A variety of inhalers are just out in plain view on what would be considered the coffee table. Some odd assortments hang over it; stereo controller, a hud of some kind, and some decorative stuff that V has no interest in.

The lewd noises are, of course, louder now that she’s in the apartment.

There are a few shards on the coffee table. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know which one Yuki wanted… so she started to stuff her pockets with all of them. Anything that was a shard or even looked remotely like a shard was quickly and swiftly pushed into her pockets. A cautious look around the apartment would tell her if she got all the shards she wanted.

Unfortunately, this means she had to check the bedroom, which is where the noises were coming from.

“Kagome… Hhyuuhhn, ahn k-kemochi…” What is he doing? She almost slaps herself, peering through a doorway. She knows he’s doing something gross.

V, against her better judgement, peers through the doorway into the private room. There’s a man seated in a gaming chair. Thankfully the chair’s back is towards the doorway. He’s cooing and moaning at a monitor, but from what she can tell, he’s wearing a headset not unlike a BD circlet. There’s a cartoon playing on the monitor, but it’s not a children’s cartoon.

“Ugh, Jesus…” V rolls her eyes, notices the pants around his ankles, and makes an inward cringe. Yuki said she’d pay extra if she roughed him up a little…

Although it didn’t bring her any pleasure, V approached quietly and gently took hold of the back of his gamer chair. Firmly, abruptly, she yanked. The back of the chair connects with the floor and the man in the chair starts panicking, flailing his arms helplessly as he yells. He speaks too fast for her to understand, but she’s able to guess that he’s begging her to stop.

All is very quiet as V exits the apartment, door closing behind her as she put her hands into her pockets. Just a handful of shards, that’s all she found, but one of them is bound to be what Yuki is after. Probably. Hopefully. V will go back to the apartment if she has to, but she’d prefer not to.

“Um…” V approaches awkwardly as she meets the small, playful girl at the corner.

“Well? You find it?”

“You didn’t specify which shard.”

V offers a hand, offering many shards to the petite woman. She put her forefinger to her chin, looking over a mass of shards. She picked one up, inspected it, then dropped it. “No.” She picked up another, inspecting it closely, then dropped it, “No…” Then finally, “Ooh! Victory!” She tucked the item into the shallow pocket of her small shorts--

“Did you give him the beat down too?”

“... I did, but I don’t think he knew who was giving it to him.”

“Don’t care! He got what he deserved.” Then she pointedly turned on heel and began walking.

“Wait.” V quickly took up after her, “The money?”

“Ohh, yeah. Listen… I don’t got the scratch.”

“... Seriously?”

“But I’m going to get some right now! So how about you just come with me? Huuh? Make it worth your while? You don’t have anywhere to be, do you?”

Actually, she wanted to go play some pachinko for nostalgia’s sake but seeing as how she had no money--

“Fine, sure. Just lead the way.”

That uneasy feeling she had before was starting to dissolve. There was something familiar about this whole ordeal, but she couldn’t really put her finger on it. For now, V didn’t feel like she was in any immediate danger, and the company was tolerable.

So V disappeared in Okayama’s nightlife without fear of consequence or the morning after.

**Transition**

It was another brisk morning.

Traffic is light in the early hours of morning, which makes it less of a hassle to travel between the apartment and the compound. Rain was in the forecast, which is typical of this time of year. The clouds in the distance had obvious intentions. A sprinkle will start sometime in the afternoon or evening.

Oda has planned today’s session accordingly.

After all, he doesn’t want to drive home on wet pavement.

The Arasaka operative parked the bike in the usual spot and went for the door, removing his sling gym bag once inside. Then the task of swapping out his casual shoes for athletic shoes, and afterwards, he finally made entry into the dining-kitchen area.

His assignment is not here.

Oda assumes she is waiting for him outside, past the sliding door that leads out.

… V is not here, either.

Their training has not even begun and already she is trying his patience.

Oda ventures back inside and, although he would rather not invade her private quarters, he approaches her door anyway. He gives a few solid knocks, but silence follows. He waits a while longer before knocking again.

“V.” Again, more knocking.

“... V.” He raises his voice marginally, knocking harder.

“... I’m coming in.” Oda pauses a few seconds before allowing himself entry.

The bed appears to be somewhat made. There are clothes discarded near the foot of the bed, abandoned. Nothing is particularly messy… but she’s not especially clean and neat. He listens for the sound of running water in the bathroom, but there is only silence. A cautious, investigative peek in revealed that he was the only one here.

The pills prescribed to her are on the bathroom counter. Oda clenched his jaw… It took a moment, but an uneasy feeling grew in his gut and spread out to his extremities.

His assignment was nowhere to be found.

Oda searched the compound in haste, thoroughly inspecting the residential section that was designated for V. Nothing came of it. Even going beyond and looking into the remainder of the compound proved fruitless. By the time he pulled out his holo, panic was causing the blood in his ears to roar.

Unfortunately, calling her would then grant her access to his deets. He had V’s all this time, but wanted to keep communications a one-way arrangement. If he does call her, she might bother him later on, as she is known to just be troublesome. Troublesome, surly, crude--

Oda would rather avoid the consequences of what may happen if V disappeared while under his instruction.

So he called her. There was no answer. He waited a few minutes before trying again. Still no answer. An hour of time had nearly lapsed during all of this, and Oda made three more attempts to call her holo before resorting to texts.

 **Sandayu Oda:**  
Where are you?

Oda returned to her bedroom and tried to gather more clues as to where she may have gone, only to glean that she merely changed her clothes before leaving. He has no idea of when she left or where she was headed. Only thing he could really discern was that she didn’t leave in haste and was not abducted.

Things would be in disarray if she was taken against her will. No one could make that woman do anything she didn’t want to do, after all. Stubborn, troublesome woman.

He checks his holo, but she has not responded or even checked the message. It remains on sent, but not seen. So he does the only logical thing; he sends her more text messages.

 **Sandayu Oda:**  
Where are you?  
Answer  
This is unacceptable

The compound lacks security as far as bodies. Admittedly, it needs little security detail. This is where they train operatives for such matters. Security officers, operatives, and other agents that may run the risk of physical encounters--they are all trained here. There would usually be no reason to trespass onto the compound, as there’s precious little anyone would really want to steal from here. However, there are cameras that observe the cars that come and go into the compound.

Oda may request that cameras be installed in V’s abode, so that he may avoid a repeat of this embarrassing situation again in the future.

Sandayu didn’t have to push hard to persuade the agent manning the front desk. While he’s not especially famous or popular, Oda can and has used his position and rank to get what he needs when he’s in a tight spot. He would not bother his superiors with a trifle such as this.

He would not tell Takemura that he lost V unless he knew there is nothing he can do to recover her.

Oda would rather perish than disappoint his sensei.

Reviewing footage only confirms that she left of her own accord. She literally walked out of the compound. Nothing and no one stopped her… It was infuriating. There was never a need to keep a leash on her. He had made an argument before, in case such a thing were to ever happen. Takemura wouldn’t hear it at the time… Maybe he’ll reconsider now.

By the time Oda had finished reviewing the footage, more hours had passed by. He still had no clues that pointed him to her. All he had was a feeling. Oda made another call to her holo as he mounted his bike again. No answer. He checked the messages. Sent, not seen. A few more messages were sent, since he could not vocally scold her.

 **Sandayu Oda:**  
Where are you?  
Answer  
This is unacceptable  
Respond  
Please respond  
Answer or there will be consequences

Sandayu secured his helmet and set off for Okayama, the closest city that the thief could get lost in. There was an easier way to hunt her down, but that involves speaking with Takemura. His sensei has more than enough to deal with at present. If he could, Oda would avoid bothering his senior. Avoid causing trouble, because this was merely one woman, and Oda is perfectly capable of handling her on his own. Capable of recovering her without help.

If he asked for help now, he’d appear irresponsible.

The traffic was heavy as he made his way North, his mind racing as he thought of all the dark places V possibly found. Possibly crawled into. The worst case scenario was at the forefront of his mind as he endured the soft, cool spring breeze. It carried moisture in the air, gently reminding Oda of the impending rain to come that afternoon.

 **Sandayu Oda:**  
Where are you?  
Answer  
This is unacceptable  
Respond  
Please respond  
Answer or there will be consequences  
Last warning


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--and here's the rest and now I can finally focus on all the things I've been neglecting.

“Where are you?”

“Morning to you too…”

“It’s not morning anymore. Where are you?”

“Don’t worry about where I am.”

Between the brief pauses in dialog, Oda was quiet. Very quiet. He pulled off to the side of the street and turned his bike off, listening intently for any clues in the audio.

V carried on, “You know Oda, I tried to tell you. I have plans that don’t involve training, so how about you do something with your day off?”

“I cannot permit this. Not while I’m responsible for you.” He leans back from his hunched position and straightens up, folding his arms across his chest.

“Look, it can be our little secret. I’m not gonna tell an--”

“ **No, V.** ” He raised his voice enough to command a moment of silence from V. Oda doesn’t raise his voice often. It’s serious. “This reflects poorly on me. If something were to happen to you during your…” What does he even call this?

“Call it downtime. It’s okay, I can take care of myself.”

“V--”

The call ended.

She hung up on him.

No clues were picked up from their little exchange, but at least she wasn’t dead.

Between Night City and Okayama, the former was far more dangerous, but V managed to finesse her way through Night City with familiarity and wit. Okayama is a different beast. It’s streets are different, the people have a different nuance, and--does V have translator software uploaded in her neural cyberware?

For the sake of controlling her, he would assume she wasn’t permitted that type of software. She’d navigate the land with more success if she communicated freely and effortlessly with the locals. Such a thing would make her harder to track down. Then again, many locals were savvy with common English.

Oda sat on his bike and contemplated what to do. He could go through the trouble of asking strangers in the city. Pick through the darker parts of Okayama. Shake up a few places. If he just knew where to start…

He tries ringing her holo again.

“Yeah?” She reluctantly answers, knowing very well who is calling her.

“Tell me where you are.”

She didn’t hear him straight away. Sounds of metal balls are heard clattering, clinging, pinging around. What is that? It sounds oddly familiar. Whatever it is, he can pick it up clearly in the audio.

“What?”

“Tell me where you are.”

“Still didn’t catch that. One more time?”

“... V.” He’s aware of the game she’s pulling, and it’s not funny.

“Ohh, I can’t hear you, I’m going through a tunnel. Sorry.”

There are no tunnels in Okayama that hinder communications. It was a transparent ruse meant to mock him.

She hung up on him… but he’s confident in the clue he picked up on the audio. It sounds like she’s near a pachinko parlor. How many parlors can there be in Okayama? Especially in a country so pressed for space. A quick search on the pachinko parlors and…

Thirty.

There are over thirty pachinko parlors in the search results.

The cybernin felt his confidence wane greatly. Oda observed the time, and noted the weather forecast before devising a plan. He will start surveying pachinko parlors in the seediest part of Okayama first and work his way out.

Unfortunately, it’s the best plan Oda could come up with.

The red lantern district was where his search began. Any questionable operation either begins or ends there. Many joytoys of all varieties, backdoor deals, questionable characters--Oda felt like he needed a shower entering and leaving. It’s very likely that V could’ve ended up in the red lantern district as a piece of meat on a cold table, butchered like an animal.

It’s not so busy during the daylight hours, though. He spoke with her earlier, too. It’s unlikely within the last hour that she was plucked up from the street and pulled apart, so he didn’t linger in the area for long.

He wouldn’t be caught dead in this place.

Oda calls her just in case he can gather any more clues by listening to the audio background, but V either ignores him or is in no state to answer...

Pink lights surrounded the red lantern district. Oda always assumed the coloring was a means of warning people of how close or far they are from the district with red lanterns. The people that lingered in such places were just as dubious and questionable. Not traditional in the slightest bit. It’s dangerous and fun, an ideal place for V to get lost in.

There are several awnings that obscure the clouded sky, and pink adverts and lights stretch across the street overhead. He was reluctant to park his bike here, but the street became less and less of a ‘drive’ way and more of a ‘pedestrian’ way. The common street becomes a walkway and it’s not ideal for motor vehicles.

Oda went to the few parlors in the immediate area and described to the people in these respective establishments the foreigner he was looking for. All to no avail. Oda returned to his bike and walked it out of the area, and continued his search for the troublesome woman.

There was a soft, faint drizzle that was coming down, and the lights of Okayama were starting to glow in a spectacular way, intensifying as the sun surrendered to the horizon. He felt desperation as the sun started to die. Surrender was close behind.

He’s been calling her every so often, but she doesn’t answer. Oda walks his bike down a narrow side street and happens upon a young boy who seems to be overseeing those who enter and leave a pachinko parlor. When asked, he confirms that a foreigner had been by just last night. He tells Oda that she was struggling with an ATM machine.

The first assumption he could make was that V was trying to rob an ATM machine. Why would Oda expect anything less from a petty thief?

The young man described a woman with a snake tattoo accompanying the foreigner further down the street.

A weight of dread forms in his belly, but his confidence in hunting her down is at least somewhat renewed. Oda knew where to go. He’s familiar enough to recognize an obvious clue like that in Okayama, at least.

So he set-out on a new destination.

The drizzle is growing, and his head and shoulders are becoming damp.

**Transition**

The Hebi Den’s advertisement is plain and obvious; an alluring woman is posted up front above the doors. Her bottom half is that of a snake. She’s overly sexy in the presentation and it shares a likeness with Night City. Without a doubt, V would find herself quite at home here.

Oda isn’t dressed for the nightlife. He wore his athletic sweats and a light jacket, which was steadily getting soaked. Thankfully, there’s no Arasaka logo to be seen on his apparel, so this may go relatively well if he’s able to navigate the bar.

Unfortunately, upon entry, he was immediately told to leave--

“Excuse me sir, but your wardrobe is… lacking.”

The sound of metal balls pinging through a machine. Oda immediately questioned how many bars he skipped over, not realizing they have pachinko machines on the inside. Is he going to have to back-track now?

The woman who stopped him was of no immediate concern. She hardly looked the type that could flatten him, but Sandayu has been wrong before. Some women sport guerilla arms and you don’t realize it until it’s too late--

That’s not his immediate concern.

The woman has a snake tattoo that peaks from under her short sleeve.

“I have to ask you to leave. Please come back when you slip into something cute and fun!” She adopts a flirty tone, ushering him towards the door. Oda takes a quick look around, and notices the woman tending the bar has a similar snake tattoo. It’s also on her arm. His icy optics hastily look for other patrons and spots another girl with a tattoo around her wrist.

“Sir?” The female bouncer steps forward, threatening to enter his personal space. Oda steps backwards out of caution.

“Have you seen a foreigner?”

“Huuh?” She tilts her head and offers some kind of look that speaks of ignorance… innocence… One or the other. Something in him says she is neither of those things.

“I’m looking for a woman. She’s a foreigner. I was told…” He glances briefly towards the snake head that peeks out from the bouncer’s sleeve. It would be futile to mention that V was in the company of a woman with a snake tattoo.

This bar is a base for the Serpent Sisters, and they all have snake tattoos.

“Aw, poor guy. You looking for your girlfriend?”

“No--”

“Maybe you should look somewhere else.” She steps forward and Oda instinctively backs up. The door automatically opens. The small bouncer was redoubling her efforts to get him to leave. The sprinkle of rain outside is slowly becoming proper droplets, and a cool breeze greets his back.

“We are not together. Have you seen her?”

“Not together? Are you a stalker?”

“No, we… are acquaintances.”

“That doesn't sound any better.”

His frustration is mounting, warmth builds in his ears and his face. He’s not angry enough to argue with the woman properly, too smart to actually cause friction with someone who is intent on denying him. He lingers underneath the tiny awning and represses his natural glare. Oda feels he’s on the right track, and he doesn’t want to lose the hunt now.

“If you see her… please relay a message.”

The petite bouncer folds her arms across her chest and raises a lonesome brow, curious.

“Please tell her… Oda said it is time to go back.”

**Transition**

The rain was steadily coming down, and Oda looked towards his motorbike with his cold, bored stare. He was not looking forward to driving in this weather. He will be soaked through if he steps out. If he’d known he was going to be running around Okayama into the late hours of the night, he would’ve packed an umbrella or a proper coat with a hood.

Would’ve left the bike at home and took a cab.

The frustration mounts the more he dwells on it. He pushes his hair back and finds it damp but not wet. Not yet. At least he has his helmet. It will keep his head from getting wet.

The door to the Hebi Den opens and a familiar face emerges.

Oda does not have a second helmet.

The Night City thief exchanges a look with Oda and they both endure a moment of silence.

He is not relieved to see her.

V is entirely indifferent despite the look he sports as he glares at her. He takes stock of her while she expresses her apathy. Eyes are red. Glazed over. She’s either drunk or high or both.

This is Oda’s complete lack of surprise.

“Hello, handsome.” She has some nerve. “What a day, hm?”

“You left no mention of where you would go or what you would do--when you would be back. No explanation.” The muscles in his cheek subtly flex as he tightens his jaw, clenching, restraining himself. It would not be proper to cause a scene in public. His tone and words are clipped and short as he approaches. “We’re leaving.”

Very abruptly, he presses his helmet to her chest. She takes hold and struggles to look him in the eyes. He doesn’t need to get much closer to smell the alcohol that’s seeping through her pores.

She’s definitely drunk.

V awkwardly handles the helmet and manages to put it on despite obvious desire to protest, and follows Oda over to his sleek bike. He gets on and tunes out the moisture that’s beginning to soak through his jacket. He felt V’s weight join him on the bike and her arms secure around his middle as the engine turns on.

They depart into the slow and steady traffic of Okayama, leaving behind the nightlife before it could go into full-swing. A shame, really. The neon lights look so beautiful when the streets are glossy with fresh rain.

**Transition**

The parking garage is narrow and ideal for someone who frequently rides motorbikes. It offers refuge from the rain, rain which continues to echo in from the street. At least the noise is soothing, in a strange and droning way.

Oda has not spoken one word to V since they departed from Hebi, and his silence continues even as V starts to ask questions.

“Where are we?” She removes the helmet, her head and hair the driest thing about her at the moment. He only grants a mild glare and takes his helmet. He walks towards the door to the elevator platform, and V follows behind, albeit a little slower.

V thinks if she walks slower, she’s less prone to tilting and stumbling.

Oda closes the door behind her and jams his finger onto the touch screen for his floor. V follows along down a hall of doors until the Arasaka operative stops in front of one and unlocks it. His helmet and shoes are dealt with upon entry, left by the door.

V follows suit but she’s not graceful in taking off her shoes. She leans against the wall near the door and grunts as she goes about the struggle of removing her boots, but in the end she is victorious. Oda had abandoned her by the door, executing a planned course of action that involved him disappearing into a room.

V took a moment to observe the interior of his apartment. Has to be his apartment. Why would he take her anywhere else?

Guess it doesn’t make sense to go to the compound on a bike in this weather.

It’s clean, with a depression in the floor. A conversation pit, or something like that. Ideal place for guests to sit and casually chat. There’s a type of sectional-couch that follows around the depression’s design, and a coffee table at the center. A lonely little bonzai tree decorates the table.

The rest of the apartment is sparse with decor, although there are several accents which appeal to Sandayu’s style.

Style is not what V would call it.

Oda has returned from a doorway and offers folded clothes to her on top of a towel.

“Shower.” How thoughtful. “You stink.”

V gives him a dry glare.

“The bathroom is through there.” He points towards the doorway he emerged from, and she makes her way in. The bedroom is dark, but the light in the bathroom is bright, and she should have no trouble finding it on her own. This leaves Oda with an opportunity to sit and decompress. To think and deliberate on the next course of action that needs to be taken.

Many pressing concerns come to mind. While he has this moment alone, he tries to think of everything he needs to check before he forgets. His mind is still a little clouded with silent, restrained anger, but even in this state he should be able to think. He was trained to think under pressure.

“Fuck, I needed that…” Oda isn’t sure how much time had passed when V returned. Towel wrapped around her head, wearing clothes that were a little too big to fit her appropriately. She sighed, sounding exhausted as she stepped down into the pit to join him on the couch. With space between them, of course.

“Roll up your sleeves.” Tired as they both were, he needed to check something. Her, specifically.

“... What? Why?”

“Tattoos, track marks.”

“Seriously?”

Oda’s expression does not flinch or change, absolutely serious and professional. Cold, like always.

“You could just ask.”

No reply is given, which just rustles her jimmies.

“Why would it matter if I got a tattoo anyway?”

This is a fair question, and while he is absolutely, quietly furious, he will enlighten her.

“Here, it is common for criminals to get tattoos.” Immediately, V rolls her eyes, miming a quiet ‘wow’ as Oda explains further. “Yakuza, gangs--they’re plainly and obviously decorated, as you saw within the Hebi Den. These… snake women are identified by the tattoos they bare. If you were to return to the compound with such a design…” What would Takemura think?

“Fuuuuuuck, Oda. I left for one night. I didn’t get sworn into a gang my first day away from the compound.”

“Then you should have nothing to fear.” He sits upright a little more. “Show me and be over with it.”

It did not escape his notice that she argued about the tattoos, but not the possibility of track marks.

V is notably pissed, but Oda has been pissed for longer, and he’s far more justified than she is. She is quietly questioning if he’s serious. His attention does not waver. Oda’s eyes are level and he appears dauntless, unshakable. Drunk as she is, she can still focus on his gaze and glare right back.

“Fiiiiine.” The sleeves are hiked up rather abruptly, an easy task because they’re bigger on her. “See? What next? Wanna see under the shirt next? Lil’ perv... Take off my pants?” She grabs the bottom of her shirt and Sandayu swiftly averts his eyes, standing from the couch and making way for the bathroom. He is, after all, still wet from the ride.

V was left alone on the couch, unsupervised. How much trouble could she get into if he left her alone for five minutes? Not even that.

As he dried off, he doubted he would even get enough rest for tomorrow. He’s still so furious, and he can’t even tell her off properly. V probably won’t remember, even if he really laid into her about how reckless and irresponsible she was being. He wanted to interrogate her further, ask her where she had been and what she’d gotten into, but in her current state, could she really answer any questions?

Oda kind of hopes, as he returns to the main room, that she would’ve magically sobered up.

She didn’t. She was sprawled on the couch, hardly conscious and the towel for her damp hair was forgotten, left on the floor. He bends down to recover it and identifies something on her neck, near the collar of her shirt. A brief moment of fear spikes in him. Gingerly, he reaches to draw the collar down. It’s not a tattoo, but a dark discoloration on her skin.

She stirs and twists to curl up on her side, and he immediately retracts his hand. She makes some kind of tired noise. Is she sleeping? Should he bother asking?

“V.”

“No…”

“V, there is a bruise on your neck.”

“Mm… Mnhmm…” There’s a subtle grin on her tired face. “Bet there is…”

He stands up, straight and tall with his lips pursing into a thin line.

Silence returns to the apartment as V succumbs to sleep. No further comment or question is made about the mark under her collar. Oda is near soundless as he acquires a duvet and tosses it over the woman who has claimed his couch.

Finally, he retires to the bedroom where he sheds the stresses of the day… until tomorrow morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys really like it... A lot of people like this.
> 
> ... Oh God now there are expectations, oh God oh no--
> 
> I jest of course. :> Enjoy

The world is off it's axis and it's currently fucking with V's sense of gravity in a big way.

The soft light of morning was seeping in through the shutters. It would've been warm and inviting to anyone else, but to V it was just offensive. It's blinding. Her optics hurt, her head hurts, her stomach... oh God, her stomach... It's twisting and churning--her guts are fighting with her. Did she eat anything? Is there anything but acid in her stomach?

V was disgusted by the texture of her own mouth, grimacing at the dry friction and lingering taste of stale liquor that remains in the back of her mouth. Her hands smear against her face, incredibly aware of her filthy skin. The hangover leaves her hands trembling.

Where is she?

How did she get here?

This is not her beautiful pad.

This is not her plush sectional couch.

Slowly, carefully, V turns on her side and her arm braces the edge of the seat cushion, pushing away from it as she tries to stand. Yeah, the world feels like it's on a weird tilt. Can't stand straight for shit.

Her body is hot and she's sweating everything she drank from yesterday. The shakes are intense as she surveys what appears to be a living room. As she makes progress towards a doorway, she recognizes the warning sign.

Oh no. Oh, there will be vomit. Where's the bathroom?

V walks through an unfamiliar room and recognizes something glossy and shiny and clean through another doorway. Linoleum flooring. Where there is linoleum flooring, there is a toilet.

Nothing else mattered to V beyond her destination. For privacy's sake, she closed the door behind her and found the commode and knelt down before it and began to show worship the only way she could.

It is dark. There's no light source, thankfully. It is peaceful, with the exception of V wretching and heaving into a bowl.

In reflection, V's had worse. This isn't great by any stretch, but this isn't her worst hangover. Or, so she likes to think.

It was hard to discern how much time had lapsed in this dark little room. She'd like to stay hidden in here. It's quiet now that she's stopped spilling her guts out from her mouth and nose. Occasionally she feels like she needs to empty out what remains, but V doesn't have anymore. She's empty.

At some point her body settles, approaching a type of calm that she could maintain. V lowers down, lower than the bowl, getting low, low--until her temple and cheek touch the cold linoleum.

Oh, it feels so, so good...

Her hot skin shivers against the cold surface. Her ears are ringing from all the strain she endured while hugging the toilet. The silence in the bathroom is amplified by the roar of blood in her ears.

At some point her eyes closed and she slept. No--well, V _thinks_ she slept. It was an uncomfortable in-between. She wants to sleep, she knows she needs to sleep, but all those weeks waking up with the sun has trained her body to be alert at this time of day. Even though she's cut-off from light, her body knows what time of day it is.

For a moment, V thinks she almost heard footsteps or some kind of movement. The door opens and light from the respective bedroom breaks through the dark comfort of the bathroom. V turns her head away and pulls her forearm across her eyes, stifling a dry groan.

"Close the door..." Show mercy, ominous stranger.

A light is turned on overhead and the pain in her head comes at her full-force. "Ugh--hnnfucking asshole..." Her hoarse expletives are ignored. The invader gave a quiet, audible noise of disgust and a droning hum resonates through the small bathroom.

He turned on the ventilation system. Wonder why.

"... You should brush your teeth."

V directs her pink eyes towards Oda. It's hard to read his face, but if she had to guess... he's not happy. That's an understatement.

Fear takes over. Brush her teeth? After all the vom she made? One poke at the back of her mouth could cause her to gag and wretch and then there might be more vom and--

"No..."

"Do not argue."

"You can't make me..."

The sound of a plastic package is heard being torn apart. Then a cap is being twisted off. V briefly runs her tongue across her teeth and feels the grit left behind from the acidic bile.

Something takes her forearm and she is reluctantly hauled up. Toilet lid is down and she is dropped on top of it, seated despite her strong prejudice against gravity. Her arm is released and a toothbrush is held towards her face, minty paste already prepared for her. V turns her head away.

"It's gonna make me gag."

"Brush." V reluctantly obeys the simple command, taking it gingerly from his hand and staring down towards the floor as she brushed along her teeth. Her mouth is so dry, the mint is overpowering, and her gag reflexes are especially sensitive and responsive.

A cup of water is put before her. V accepts it eagerly, swallowing everything. Toothpaste foam and all.

Oda's hardened expression swapped from quiet anger to horror.

"No, you... You're supposed to gargle and spit."

"So thirsty..."

"Are you still drunk?"

"Maybe. Don't think so... My tolerance… My tolerance is really low." She finally found the nerve to look up and directly at his face, feeling more ashamed than she ordinarily would.

V knocked him in the dirt the night of the parade. Now look at her. She must look absolutely pathetic in his eyes.

"More..." She holds up her cup, hand shaking. He takes the cup and sets it aside instead of giving her a refill. She obviously pouts.

"City water is not good for you."

A solid reason, but she's still thirsty.

"Listen." At his instruction, she looked up and watched him pat a small pile of folded clothes. "Your clothes. Take another shower and change. See me in the kitchen when you're done." V stares at his back as he leaves and once more she's alone.

She stares at the pile of clothes he left her. That's what she wore yesterday. He washed her clothes... Panic comes up and she pats the sweatpants she's wearing, digging out two holo pads from the pockets. Relief comes.

They are both identical in appearance, but each have different contacts. While she has a moment alone, she takes a quick look at her messages. Takemura hasn't hit her up or anything, leading her to think he is unaware of her little adventure out of the compound. Her other phone, however...

 **KerrBear:**  
Who is this? (...)

 **Judy:**  
Pinche cabronez (...)

 **Pan:**  
Vvvvvv! (...)

 **River:**  
You fell off the face of the earth (...)

Despite feeling like complete shit, a rush of endorphins hit her. One wave after the other. Her toes curl excitedly as she started hastily texting back. Old feelings resurface as she smothered her hand against her mouth, holding herself back.

 **V:**  
kerry?

 **KerrBear:**  
Who is this?  
How did you get this number?

 **V:**  
Your favorite Night City bad girl  
just chippin in :P  
did you miss me?

She swaps from Kerry to Judy...

 **V:**  
hey its v  
pls tell me this is still your number

 **Judy:**  
Pinche cabronez  
You think you can just drop a line after all this time?  
Like you didn't just disappear?  
No trace, no goodbye, just gone

 **V:**  
pls dont be mad  
tell you all about it when i have time

… Judy to Panam…

 **V:**  
pancake  
this v new number

 **Pan:**  
Vvvvvv!  
Holy shit!  
Where did you go?  
Where are you?  
I’ll pick you up

 **V:**  
im in japan  
complicated

… Panam to River…

 **V:**  
its v

 **River:**  
You fell off the face of the earth  
What happened?

What was easy for all of her other friends was… less easy for the last contact she had saved. V wasn’t even sure if she should’ve texted River. Was there something between them? At one point? V felt like those things were up in the air. It didn’t feel fair to lead anyone on when it came to deep feelings.

When she thinks of those deep feelings, her mind can call one person to mind.

It isn’t River.

V agonized a while longer over whether or not to text him back. She does care about the big lug. The same way she cares about Kerry and Panam--all of her friends. Shit, she’s overthinking it, probably.

 **V:**  
its v

 **River:**  
You fell off the face of the earth  
What happened?

 **V:**  
i died  
got better  
long story

Both holo pads are put on the bathroom counter and she turned on the water, letting it warm up as she strips down. Moments later, she’d return from the shower, disappointed in Oda’s selection of body wash and shampoo.

It was the first thing she mentioned when she came out of the shower, fully dressed.

“You can’t use 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I understand why you’d think it would be practical and whatever, but it’s not good for you…”

There’s the smell of toast and, what? Eggs? V is lured along by the smell, discovering a small table in the kitchen area. Barely big enough for two. Or maybe it is big enough for two, and Oda just makes it appear smaller than it really is by comparison. It escapes her notice, how big his shoulders appear sometimes. Particularly in grey t-shirts. The kind with a nice V-collar.

She joins him with the assumption that she’s allowed to share the table with him, and that the plate with toast and eggs is for her. He seems to have his own plate, but nothing remains but crumbs. Understandable. She wouldn't wait for him to join her, either.

“What is wrong with my body wash?”

“The only thing _right_ about it is that it’s sandalwood.” She pulls out the chair, bracing the edge of the table as she looks down at the humble meal in front of her. Her stomach has settled, but the calm in her belly feels dubious.

“Do you use lotion after you shower? I didn’t see any there. You probably shower every day, so you should get lotion. Your skin dries out if you shower too often… Mm, and the 3-in-1 body wash… Your hair isn’t the same as your skin. Don’t wash your hair every day, either.” She gingerly applies the runny eggs on top of her toast and looks up from the plate briefly to recognize Oda’s unimpressed face. Typical. Why would he look at her any other way? “... Or do whatever you want.”

V looked back down towards her plate. He continues to stare. The longer he stares, the closer her brows are drawn together.

“Your lips are pale.” The observation causes her to become critically aware of her mouth as she tries to consume her breakfast. Is it breakfast? What time is it? “Your hands are shaking.” Then she set her toast down, rubbing her hands together under the table.

“... You’ve never been hungover, huh?”

He leans back further in his chair, “I’ve never had the need to drink in excess.”

“Well… we can’t all be boyscouts, can we?”

Maybe something got lost in translation, because he looked confused by the phrase when she looked up from her plate. He continues to watch her, expression hard to read. He nudges a glass towards her, calling her attention towards it. She guzzled half a glass of water down before, similarly, leaning back in her chair.

The uncomfortable silence is growing. Is it uncomfortable for him? Maybe it’s just her. She can’t stand it, not right now. For some reason, it’s the worst.

“... If you use conditioner on your hair, you should avoid applying it on your roots--”

“ **V.** ” He wasn’t interested in talking about his hair routine. “What do you recall from last night?” A pill bottle is produced and set down before her.

“Nmmh… not much.” She’s quick to look down at the familiar pill bottle, trying to delay serious answers as she opens the bottle and fingers out a lonesome pill, popping it into her mouth. “That wasn’t me, that was someone else.” Denial, denial, denial--did she make an ass out of herself? Probably. She’d rather not remember.

“When did you leave the compound?”

V looked thoughtful for a moment, chewing slow as she thought about it. Last night, she slept here at Oda’s. Back-tracking from there, she was hanging out at the Hebi Den. Where did she sleep before that? The details are blurry.

“I left a couple hours after you left.”

“Where did you sleep that night?”

V shakes her head a little, “Not at the compound.” Why does she feel like she’s on trial? She finished her toast and eggs and began to wipe her anxious, now-sweaty palms against her pant legs.

“Did you plan on going back at any point?”

“I think so…”

“At what point?” He is starting to sound shorter with his words. Clipped. Staccato. “It was late when I coaxed you out of the snake den. When did you plan on leaving?”

“Probably… soon after…”

“Mmh…” The weight of his gaze is… growing. V won’t look up at him. He calls her out. “Yet I doubt you would have.”

A strange feeling is beginning to pour over V. Something like shame. A sense of humiliation is dripping down her face and neck, but she pulls her composure together well.

The glass is held in hand and she sips idly, “You didn’t tell Takemura.” The dynamic shifts slightly in this tense kitchen area. “If you did, he would’ve been the one blowing up my phone.”

“Really. You believe he’d leave early from his assignment? Do you think he’d waste his time hunting you down? Turn the entire city over?”

“Of course he would. I’m _property of Arasaka,_ right? I’m an _investment._ If someone told him I slipped out, I wonder who they’d crack down on?” She lifted her brows a little, staring at him from over the brim of her glass of water. “How am I doin’? Spot on or way off base?”

Oda steels his face, but V isn’t being told she’s wrong.

“You are lucky.” He leans forward a little, and V leans away equal distance. “Had it been Takemura, he would’ve seen you for the dishonest lush you truly are.” His eyes briefly look down towards the collar of her shirt. “Or do you not care if he learns about the company you were keeping?”

V put her glass down and swallowed the awkward noise her throat made--surprised, really.

“Nothing happened.”

“Mm, yes. That mark suggests as much.”

“Fuck off.” There’s a hot feeling in her face, a fever of embarrassment fogging up her mind. “I was _lonely._ I’m a fucking human being and I have needs, alright? Not everyone can be devoted to honor and duty.”

There’s a smug look rising out of Oda. A subtle smirk.

“There,” V points at him suddenly, “You and your people--fucking Arasaka bastards--you all treat human reaction and responses like it’s shameful or something. There it is.” She rubs the heat that’s rising on the back of her neck, an uncomfortable itch spreading where the heat reaches. “You pride yourselves on being mechanic-people with mechanic-responses and you never smile--you people don’t smile, you _smirk._ ”

The only one she’s ever seen smile was Takemura. Or at least, until she met Yuki and her girls. A sharp exhale comes out as she remembers some details from last night, hours wasted with Yuki and the things they got into--V is suddenly overwhelmed, many feelings cluttering together at once.

_Fucking Arasaka._

V is no longer paying Oda any mind. Oda’s smug face has been wiped away. She stands up quickly, abandoning the conversation and leaving the Arasaka operative alone in his kitchen. He follows after, quick on her heels.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.”

“You’ll be going back to the compound, though.”

“Yeah, probably--don’t fuckin’ worry about it.” She aggressively steps into her boots and unlocks the door, opening--it’s promptly slammed shut. V whips her head over her shoulder and glares at him.

“You have to go back to the compound.”

“Fine, I’ll go back to your fuckin’ soulless compound.” She opens the door--and it’s slammed shut once more. V is losing what composure she has, and right now there isn’t much.

“And you cannot… mingle… with those snake women from here on.”

“What!?” She sounds shrill and hostile. “I can’t be barred from meeting people--you can’t tell me who I can see in my downtime, asshole.”

Oda leans against his door, effectively blocking her only escape.

“No joytoys. Inputs, outputs, people of questionable character… Those are the terms you must agree to. Then I will call you a cab back to the compound.” V grips the doorknob tight and pulls, but he is heavy. Heavier than he looks. Muscle weighs more than fat, so it’s no surprise.

“Move.” V squares up her shoulders and ignores the throbbing in her head, made worse by the anger. Her fury makes her blood pump harder, faster. She arches her spine slightly and the position of her arms and the fists she’s making with her hands give Oda ample warning. He is far from intimidated.

“Agree to the terms.”

“No. Get out the way.”

“I will not. You will agree to these terms or I will tell Takemura about your exploits. I refuse to waste hours of my time going through Okayama’s gutters to find you.”

V wants very much to slam her fist into his face, but for all her stupidity, she recognizes a losing battle; Oda is more than capable of beating her as she is now. She can ball up her fists and bark at him, but he’ll flatten her out if he has to. Something in her desperately wants to provoke him, to start a fight even if she can’t win.

It took everything she had to keep herself from exploding like some kind of…

“V.”

“Compromise.” She’s squeezing the door handle so tight she’d think it would just break in her favor, but it wouldn’t. It won’t. “Meet me in the middle. I can’t live in a little box. I’m not some animal you can take out for walks once a day.”

V still wears the challenge in her eyes, she still holds herself like she’s ready to throw a punch at any second. Her arms are shaking, but she’s holding back. Sandayu remains as he is, leaning against the door outright. He seems… troubled? Conflicted? She can’t tell. What is he thinking as he pushes his hair back and breathes out another exhale? Is he sighing because he’s exhausted from handling her?

V can be quite the troublesome woman, he’s been right about that so far.

“What do you suggest?”

“... Don’t suppose you’d let me have a girl’s night with those snake chicks, huh?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Fine, okay… Will you let me go out with someone?”

“Too vague. Be specific.” Of course he wants her to be specific. He’s too clever. V’s shoulders are starting to sag, but the tension remains held in her posture. Her shoulder presses against the doorframe, mirroring him in presentation.

“You know… _go out with someone._ ” The tone is suggestive.

“No.” V feels like her body and mind are a rollercoaster. Down one moment, up and ready for punching the next. “Not if you’re pursuing Takemura.”

“I’m…” She closed her eyes. The emotional whiplash could break her neck. “I’m not chasing him.”

“No?”

“No…” She can’t look up at him. Her eyes want to look anywhere else. Oda is very quiet as she keeps her eyes fixed towards the floor. His silence, in some strange way, pushes her to elaborate. “We don’t have that kind of relationship.” Cowardice won’t let her meet his cold optics, but she’ll set her jaw and try to play-up her indifference.

“I know that. You don’t.”

V’s brows twist and her chin becomes tense. She hardens her bottom lip and blinks fast, eyes becoming wet. The way he says it is very plain and simply stated… Something in her feels sore and awful. It’s deep.

Oda won’t wait for this to pass. If anything, he presses on quickly.

“We will try to do something once a week.” He leans away from the door and V numbly feels at the door, hearing him but not registering what he’s metaphorically putting on the table. “If you have to drink, it will not be in excess. I will **not** be reduced to babysitting a drunk, and I will never wash your clothes again or tolerate you sleeping in my bathroom.” Oda presents her with the bottle of pills prescribed to her. The very same bottle Sandayu plucked up from V’s established room at the compound. She takes it wordlessly.

“The cab is here. I will see you out.” With relative ease, he put on his shoes. V is still recovering from something Oda cannot grasp or fathom as she passes through the threshold of his apartment. He exits with her and the door closes behind them, signifying that their compromise has been established.

Does he show her to the cab out of concern, or does he do it because he can’t trust her as far as he can throw her?

V is marinating in the backseat of a cab, her ride paid for upfront so she doesn’t have to worry about getting reprimanded for being a broke gonk. She’s half-way to the compound now. The weird fog hanging over her is still clouding her. Her hands fumble slowly with the bottle of pills, eyes trying to read the lettering on the container. Eventually, the question lifts up to the surface of her mind.

What the fuck did she agree to?


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got to too many pages in my google doc and i thought to myself-- hey, maybe cut the first few pages and submit a chapter? Sounds reasonable. Next chapter, bikes go vroom.

**Yuki:**  
Wakey wakey gudetama!

 **V:**  
wtf is a gudetama?

 **Yuki:**  
Lazy eggg. That’s you!  
<3 lazy V good morning  
I got that chip you wanted  
How do I get it to you?  
You still won’t tell me where you live  
:( i miss you  
When you coming for your chip? we have to party again

 **V:**  
u text fast  
will hit you up when im in okayama again

 **Yuki:**  
Uwu ok xoxo come see me soon

**Transition**

Sweat streaks down by her brow as she holds out for a few seconds longer on the bar. V has shown she can command a lot of endurance and control of her body on the acrobatic bar. There’s little fear in her as she maintains her stiff, plank-like pose. She is horizontal, back towards the gym ceiling as she sustains her grip near the center of her body. V keeps waiting for her trainer to correct her positioning, but there is silence instead of correction or instruction.

Briefly, her eyes dart his way. Oda is standing nearby, arms folded across his chest as he looks thoughtful. V remains locked in this position, her arms beginning to burn with the strain, but she does not move. After a while, it becomes unbearable. What is he waiting for?

“Well?” She grunts out, as to which he shakes his head. “Criticism? Snide comment?”

A shrug, “Adequate.”

V’s arms relax and she rests her center of gravity on the bar, rolling back and dropping to her feet. Just adequate? She exhales quickly, “We done with the acrobatics?” V approaches with her hands on her hips, casual and totally unassuming.

"Matsuda will be visiting tomorrow to gauge your physical condition and track your progress. Next week, Takemura will attend your first physical assessment. Think of it as a performance exam; you will go through endurance routines and show him what we have covered for martial training." Oda kept his arms folded as she approached, unmoved.

"How will I know if I passed?" She pauses a certain distance and plays down her exhaustion in exchange for this information he brings to light.

"It's an assessment, not a test. It will serve as our baseline for your capabilities. Don’t think of it as something you pass.”

"This is starting to sound more and more like training. Like I'm being..." She shakes her head a little, brows worried together. “Like it’s not in the name of science anymore.” She raises an arm to wipe the sweat off her brow with a sleeve.

"It would not surprise me if you were being primed for Arasaka's counter-offensive operations in the distant future." This sounds like it’s his own observation, not some intel handed to him. A prompt to inform her from someone higher up.

"Is that a paying gig?" V acquired ‘funds’ from her night out with Yuki some nights ago, but that won’t last forever. Yuki is going to expect payment for the photomemory RAM chip. V needs scratch. Much as Takemura wants to accommodate her with his finances, she… just wants her own independence.

Eyes flit away as Oda considers, thoughtful once again. "I'm sure they would arrange something." Relaxed. Now would be a perfect time to hit him. Or would it? His body language can be deceptive sometimes.

"What if I don't want to be part of any operation?"

"You would turn down such a chance? Why?”

“I can think of a few reasons…”

“Mh.” Oda looks entirely indifferent, his curiosity come and gone, “Eager for the next segment of training?” Damn, he’s focused on her again--she missed her chance.

… The next part is hand-to-hand tactics, her favorite part of the day.

V’s relaxed posture switches in exchange for the offensive, going at him with kicks that were aimed for his head. Not surprisingly. V frequently aims for his face in most exchanges. He leans away easily, either because she’s still too slow or he’s just that fast. Quickly, he captures her by the ankle and yanks very abruptly and she collapses towards him, almost pulling her groin from the way her legs met with the mat--

Okay. Sometimes this is… her least favorite part of the day.

The conversation continues as he allows her a chance to get back on her feet, taking a less-active role in her attempts to hit him.

“To be selected for an opportunity like this… It would be an honor.” Oda leans away from another kick--because why would V learn and try a new tactic? “The benefits alone are more than anyone could ask for. Full medical coverage. Family and loved ones would never have to worry about sickness or injury.”

“I don’t have family or loved ones.” She realizes her kicks aren’t helping, so she changes her tactic. The weights on her wrists and ankles are removed and she uses her legs to close the distance rather than assault. Her hands are fast. Faster than he expected.

“Then it would just be for your benefit.”

“Yeah, like I need to worry about medical shit when Arasaka will throw me at their best doctors to preserve an investment… What are the other benefits?”

“It is very likely that you will be given access to top of the line implants.”

“Assuming they would let their own property opt for body mods, sure.”

“Then there’s the finances…”

“Again, assuming they would let their own property earn a paycheck.”

Her frustration just mounts and builds. At this point, it’s fuel for V’s fire. Her punches are faster--and Oda has to start blocking now because he can’t merely lean out of the way anymore. She’s growing aggressive.

“Your circumstances are unusual, but you are still a person.”

“At least you get it! I don’t want to run to Takemura every time I wanna buy something. You know how annoying and humiliating that is?” V is trying to hit him and hit him **harder.** He’s catching her fists now. Something about this reminds her of Vik. “You think he’d get the message if I took him to a toy shop?”

“A… what?”

“A toy shop. He’s so fucking eager to buy shit, I’ll take him to a toy shop and pick out something I like.” Oda almost didn’t catch her next punch. “Old Goro will be so embarrassed, he’ll let me have my own funds to avoid a repeat.” V is too focused on getting past Oda’s defenses, she doesn’t notice his ears threatening to turn pink.

“Do not take Takemura to a depraved smut shop.” He is blunt and simple, and V finds herself out of breath, so she pauses in her onslaught for a breather.

“I’m kidding… I wouldn’t take him somewhere like that.”

“If you wanted to make such proposals for finances and implants, I think post-assessment would be the ideal time. It won’t just be Takemura observing you, but other Arasaka shareholders and potential sponsors. Your performance will be crucial for funding future projects.” So that was the angle. V’s brought up to speed on the specifics. They’re beyond observational study and want to work towards making a profit on her.

“It’s starting to sound like a sales pitch.” V sounds a little… disheartened. Far from surprised about it all. Of course this isn’t for her wellbeing, it’s for profit. Corporations are only ever thinking about upping the numbers in their back account, after all. Gotta chase that money, buy that fourth yacht--strippers, sleek cars--

“It may become something like that, yes.”

“Am I a product?” V, who was ready to throw hands seconds earlier, is now losing interest in practiced violence.

Oda opens his lips to speak, but stops. She can see he’s picking his words carefully. He’s distracted--but so is V, so she doesn’t take her chance for a cheap shot.

“... We are all products of Arasaka. The agency and liberty you seek can only be earned over time… Right now, you feel like an infant. As though you have no control over your life and your decisions, so you become angry with your caretakers, like a child. All you need to understand is that if you do well, you will be rewarded.”

“You mean I need to be a good little girl?” She’s trying not to roll her eyes, disgusted by the words and the concept. “That’s a big ask.”

“I know. You feel challenged by authority, even when the authority doesn’t acknowledge you as a challenge in the same manner. That much is obvious.” Brutal with his honesty, as he always is, but Oda surprised her. V isn’t sure what to make of what he said. His observation is spot on and she’s not sure whether or not Oda understanding her is a good thing.

“... You psychoanalyzing me or something like that?”

“Something like that, perhaps.”

For a brief moment, she thought he might be smiling.

V is obviously not charmed, heckles rising up as she balled up her fists, “Well, knock it off.” 

“Enough banter. Come at me again. There is much to correct in your posture and little time until your assessment.”

**Transition**

Powerful thighs squeezed together as her ankles locked behind his head. If it weren’t for Oda’s cyberbrace, he would be subdued in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately for V, she forgot neck-holds would have no effect on him.

It was still fun to see Oda’s face burn hot with embarrassment between her knees, though.

“This is a great look for you!” She quipped just as he took hold of her hips and slammed her back down on the padded gym floor. V strains to keep control of him, hands flattening against the mat and her legs flexing to keep their hold on Oda. He won’t command her to release him. He has to prove to her that he can get out of his own accord.

This is to remind her that he is still leagues better than her.

His weight is near crushing and she feels like she’s being folded in half. V finds herself using more than just her leg strength, but her core strength--every part of her is trying to derail him. Before he could manhandle her properly, she twisted her frame and redirected his pressure. The balance is offset and she follows through, side-rolling.

V prevails. Oda’s head is still firmly locked between her thighs, and she has her knees pressed against the mat. Uncomfortable for her feet, sure--after all, her ankles had been locked behind his head not but a moment earlier--but the view was worth it.

“I take it back--” V can’t stop her mouth to save her life, “-- **this** is a way better look for you.”

Oda scowls, canines revealed in his sneer--

“V, that is highly inappropriate and disrespectful.”

Whipping her head towards the intruder, she met eyes with Goro. He didn’t look amused. Embarrassment flooded her head immediately, heating her already flushed face.

“Takemur--” V’s world was flipped on its head and the side of her face connected with the padded flooring. Oda saw his moment of opportunity and took it. He kept her pinned, wrangling her forearm to the small of her lower back. After he made his swift recovery, he addressed his senior properly.

“Takemura-sensei, I was not informed you would be here today.”

“My assignment requires me in Okayama. I thought I would check in to observe training operations.” He is dressed in his business attire, which is… criminally dapper, as usual. He looks a little concerned as he observes the two younger generations squirming on the gym’s padded flooring. “I trust all is going well?”

“G-great! Preem!” V barely manages to grunt out, finding herself unable to get out of the humiliating position of defeat. “Can you let go now?” Oda releases her, stepping away and standing proper. He greets his senior with a respectful bow. V is still recovering, slow to stand up as she nursed her arm. She almost bows in greeting, but it feels awkward and forced. So she doesn’t.

“If you’re here, does that mean…” V’s mind goes to the best case scenario--

“I will take you to visit the city tonight.” His confirmation brings a sudden second-wind to her sails, but she tries not to look too excited. “We have some things to discuss. Oda-san,” Takemura addresses his junior respectfully, “you are dismissed from your duties today.”

“Understood.” Oda makes no argument and excuses himself, collecting his gym bag and personal things.

“I’m going to change--” V turns and makes a quick trot across the gym, disappearing beyond a door for the time being.

The gym is mostly silent now that V has abandoned the two men, leaving them to speak freely in their common tongue. Takemura approaches Oda as he stows his water bottle away into the sling gym bag.

“How has her temperament developed since we last spoke?”

“The harassment hasn’t improved. Beyond that, she is showing interest in other practices and traditions.”

“Mm. You taught her how to prepare and serve tea…”

“Only because she insisted.” He hoists the bag over his shoulder and stands up tall, sounding weathered. “She is very persistent. Otherwise, she is neither aggressive nor combative… Although, she still enjoys antagonizing figures of authority.”

“I am aware… Is there anything else?”

“Nothing of note,” he clenched his jaw briefly, thinking to mention when V frolicked about in the darker parts of-- “Enjoy your night in Okayama, Takemura-sensei.” He bows quickly and leaves before he could be caught omitting anything else worth reporting.

Takemura was none the wiser as he watched Oda make his escape.

**Transition**

**V:**  
r u busy?

 **Yuki:**  
Never too busy for V ;)  
Are we going to party??

 **V:**  
not today. need that chip  
if i give u an address can u drop it off there?  
discreetly

 **Yuki:**  
So mysterious V  
Uwu Yuki can do this for you

 **V:**  
ur a lifesaver

 **Yuki:**  
Uwu xoxo send me scratch soon xoxo

**Transition**

The dress is better suited for a woman of higher pedigree. V fills it out well, but she doesn’t deserve it. Although she does enjoy it, secretly, it feels a little wrong. There is some little guilty pleasure about the ordeal. What was it? Takemura splurging on her? Or maybe the act of dressing up? Or did she find it exciting that he’d pick it out and suggest she try it on?

The dress is tame but has fun measurements. Black with gold detailings. V felt oddly sophisticated, like she should be wearing this at a high-end party, rubbing shoulders and elbows with corpos and the like. He even bought shoes to match.

Where did they go next? A nice restaurant. Somewhere quiet and laid-back with a nice view of Okayama. From where she sat, V could watch a sea of artificial lights decorating the night landscape. If this was a date, it was the nicest date she’d ever been on.

Unfortunately, this was not a date.

V is picking at the remains of her food, pacified by the soft piano that plays in the distance. Takemura is finished, or so it would seem by the way he places his utensils across the plate. This seems like an idea time for him to broach the subject of--

“There is an assessment due in the near-future.” She lifts her eyes from her meal and leans back in her seat. He has her full attention. “You will be judged by unseen sponsors. Your strengths, weaknesses--your potential will be measured.”

“What, like… I’m going to be a performer on a stage for strangers, or something?”

“That is a fair analogy.”

“I mean… Kind of weird, but Oda filled me in on it the other day.” It feels weird, thinking of herself as a lab rat or a product to be sold. V tries to speak of herself objectively. “I’m a promising test subject, or some shit like that, right? They want to see my responses, reflexes, progress--make sure the duplication project is worth investing in… Is that what all this is about?”

“I wanted to be the one to bring this news to you…” Takemura did look somewhat remorseful. “I am sorry I couldn’t be the one to tell you. Yes, this is a trial to observe what the human body can recover and gain post-replication.”

“So you didn’t… take me out because you wanted to spend time with me.”

“V… I would not be here if I did not cherish your company.”

“Don’t… Don’t do that…”

“V?”

“Don’t say things like that to me.” It’s just cruel at this point.

V’s eyes fall to the dish before her. Then she looks towards the silverware he placed across his empty plate before doing the same. Her cloth napkin is set aside and she looks towards the large observation window. From this high, she can see so much. Her mind tries to recall the corner apartment that Oda lives in. She never looked out the windows. Did he have a nice view like this?

All Arasaka lap dogs probably have nice views and cushy apartments. There’s no doubt in her mind that Takemura and Oda are compensated with only the best. Although, theoretically, they would have an easier time departing from Arasaka. V isn’t so sure she can break away cleanly. To have her own place, her own digs, however… Sounds really nice.

Takemura was still talking, explaining the pros and never mentioning any cons. Like she doesn’t already know.

“This will open doors for you, V. There are many benefits to--”

“I know already. On-demand medical team, stock options, my own income, access to special implants, blah blah blah…”

It was his turn to look dejected. The longer they discussed this, the more miserable they both became.

Takemura was not a man who gave up easily.

“I struggle to understand you… This is an ideal opportunity for someone with nothing. Anyone would eagerly jump at such a golden opportunity.”

“Some things can’t be bought, Goro…” V pauses as a waiter approaches and offers to take away their plates. She carried on when it was just the two of them once again, trying to explain her perspective. “Money isn’t enough… Material shit, health care, whatever. That’s a great bundle and all, but…” V finds herself looking at Takemura in a slightly different light. Before her sits a man who doesn’t understand her, but he’s trying his best to provide her with the best options he can give. He just wants to help. What does V want?

“It’s not really what I had in mind…”

“What did you have in mind? What were your plans for after the removal of the Relic, V?” Takemura, so tentative and patient--he’s really trying to understand. God, why can’t there be more men like him?

V thought of those brief intimate moments she had with him. When she wanted him to leave Arasaka, find a new life. She wanted that dream so badly. Although there was no sensible, reasonable place for the two of them in the world, V wanted to carve a place for the two of them and see what they could create together.

Now when she looks at him, the dream feels more like a passing thought than a passionate escape from reality. A flame that’s nearly snuffed out by the man it was centered around. She can only chase for so long.

“V?” The man across the table is unaware of the realization V is having. It washes over her slowly as she looks into his eyes. A gentle cascade of pain at first. It is soon followed by a numbness that erodes sentiment in its wake. Subtle concern lifts in his eyes and his hand carefully reaches across the table. V returns to reality in time to pull her hand off the table, resting it in her lap, safely out of his reach.

“I don’t know what my plans were for after… To be completely honest, I didn’t plan that far ahead. Didn’t think I’d make it.”

Takemura’s eyes watched V retract her hand. He recovers his hand smoothly and his eyes meet her once again. He adjusts in his seat, “Perhaps we go back further. Before the heist.” Jackie. “Before you were hired by Dexter Deshawn.” T-Bug. “What were your plans? What were you working towards?” Legends.

From all his urging, something else comes to the surface of her mind, drifting up from the dark depths and manifesting--and V her eyes leave Takemura in favor of the view through the large window. There’s a new silence shared between them. For all his curiosity, he feels that pressuring her to answer would be counter-productive. V appears too thoughtful. He waits a while longer and considers asking her again in the future.

A new song has begun playing. A slow rendition of some classic jazz song that V doesn’t know the name of. Takemura summons her attention with a new question.

“... Would you like to dance?” Blindsided.

“What?”

Takemura removes himself from the table, smoothing his hand down the buttons of his shirt as he stands. V pushes her chair away from the table as Takemura extends a hand. Like a gentleman, “Would you like to dance?”

“... Sure.”

V gently places her hand in Takemura’s, standing up from her chair and walking with him around the table. Her heels gently click on polished flooring, which seems like hardwood but how could it be when almost everything in this world is synthetic? Part reluctant, part excited, V walked with him to an area somewhat cleared of tables. If there was a place to dance, this would likely be the spot.

What of the people watching, though? Are there people looking? V is temporarily distracted. This isn’t her scene, these aren’t her people--this isn’t her style.

Takemura directed her spare hand to his shoulder and her right hand into his and began to lead her with slow steps. In time with the soft piano that played quietly over the upscale patrons. Something about this was sweet and endearing, but she has a strange feeling it’s not meant to be taken too intimately.

This isn’t the type of dancing she would be seen doing, but Takemura is doing a great job of distracting her from simple facts. Like the fact that she’s out of her element. Out of her depth and out of her mind to think that he--

“This doesn’t seem quite like the… dancing type of establishment. We probably look stupid.”

“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we may as well dance.”

“Is that another one of your proverbs?”

“It is.”

T-Bug would’ve liked him.

V’s hand squeezes his shoulder a little. Had he done this ten minutes earlier, her heart would be fluttering. At the moment, it’s just beating steadily. Not even the presence of his hand at her could coax out a nervous wiggle.

It was so nice, though. When was the last time she was touched gently? When was the last time someone placed their warm hands on her? The feeling of strong arms carefully guiding her along, and the smell of a gentleman… Takemura grooms himself well, but he probably doesn’t understand the effects it has on interested women.

“You’re in danger…” V was numb before, but now her face is hinting at a smile.

“What do you mean?” Beneath her hand, she felt the subtle tension drawn in his broad shoulders. He’s on edge and mildly confused. V kept her composure, but secretly she’s pleased at how easily she put him in suspense. “We are in danger…? What--”

“No, not me. You’re going to be in danger… if you aren’t careful.” The hand on his shoulder inches a little further up. “Just a friendly warning, Goro. If I get the wrong impression, you’ll be in danger.” V adopts something of a smirk, shameless with her suggestive tone.

A flurry of emotions are coming and going in his eyes. V put him in an awkward disadvantage, and she knows it. He isn’t sure how to recover… so he defaults to a serious apology.

“I am sorry, V.”

“I know… I’ll forgive you this time.”

He slows his pace, almost stopping the dance.

“Should we stop?”

Without hard feelings, without soreness in her chest, V shakes her head. “No, we can keep dancing.”

It just feels nice. Touch… Touch feels nice and at this point, she doesn’t care if the hand that is touching her is Takemura or a complete stranger. There is a void and it needs to be filled.

This slow, gentle dancing will pacify her for tonight.

**Transition**

**V:**  
did u leave the chip where i told u?

 **Yuki:**  
It is waiting for you in the super secret hiding place  
Under the garbage can by the curb!  
I was very discrete!  
V-chan that restaurant is very E$PEN$IVE

 **V:**  
ty yuki

 **Yuki:**  
Are you on a date?  
Is he an old wealthy pervert?  
Is that where you are? Is that why you are there?  
You are on a date with a rich perv?  
V-chan do you live a double life?

 **V:**  
cant talk  
sorry

 **Yuki:**  
Are you E$CORT?  
You can do better V-chan

 **V:**  
no i am not a whore  
cant talk g2g

 **Yuki:**  
V-chan you don’t have to do it!!!!  
Uwu there are better ways to make money  
I have an ex that could take a beating


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here is the rest of the chapter and I cannot quick-edit my errors until I get back from obligations to the real world so APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE here you go. vroom vroom.

Was he being more aggressive than usual?

V stares up at the ceiling, hands hovering over her chest as she opens her mouth. No air is summoned. She tries to suck inward, but nothing.

That son of a bitch made her hit the floor so hard, he knocked the wind out of her lungs.

There’s a brief spark of panic as she worries she might not recover the function of her lungs. She slams her hand against her chest a couple of times before suddenly gasping inward and exhaling with relief. V’s lashes flutter as she tries to recuperate. Oda’s familiar visage is coming into view. He looms over her, standing with that stupid look on his face.

“You keep leaving yourself open when you overextend yourself. I thought you would learn by now, but you keep making the same mistake.” He folds his arms and shakes his head a little. “How many times will you commit the same error before--”

V took her chance to knock Oda down a peg… by literally trying to knock him off his feet.

Expertly he switched his feet before he could be destabilized, then avoided a wide sweep of V’s leg when she recovered ground.

“You keep attacking with the belief that you have reach. Your limbs are shorter than mine, you need to remember this and plan your strategy accordingly.”

“Is martial arts going to be part of the assessment?”

“It might be.” This leads V to believe that Oda has not the faintest idea. “You are flexible and light. If you combine that with momentum--”

“Straight-forward approach was enough to knock you on your ass, if memory serves.”

“With gorilla arms. Unless you forgot that particular detail.”

V rolls her eyes a little, but finds it hard to argue against a solid point.

“Perhaps you would do better to learn from a defensive perspective. Your eagerness for being on the offensive is admirable but misplaced.” Oda begins approaching her with obvious intent, causing V to start walking backwards. “Remember the blocking techniques I taught you. I will not go easy. This point in your training, it should be second nature to you.”

“Right.” Her confidence is quickly shaking.

“V, stop backing away.”

“I’m not, I’m just…”

His fist comes in--a sharp left hook. V narrowly avoids it, dipping to her right. He attempts to swing his right fist over, and she ducks down again to dip left. The initial fear left, she felt hopeful--and suddenly she was knocked on her back once again, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. Her hand falls to her stomach.

“I cannot fully express my disappointment…” He comes into her view and she observes his eyes. “You didn’t even last a minute.”

Something about this feels backwards, but she can’t formulate a clever response in a timely manner, what with her thoughts all scrambled.

“Get up. We will practice this step-by-step.”

V is pushing herself back onto her feet, but her will to persist is fading fast as she looks at the indomitable, impervious Oda. He prepares for an assault. V gets ready.

He comes with a left hook, she dips right. He follows with a right swing, she dips left but raises her right arm. They link at the elbow like he wanted, and she braces his shoulder, her feet leaving the flooring as she swings herself. One leg hooks and looks around his neck and the momentum of her swing is carried through-- Oda is thrown to the mat with the force of her swing and she ends up on her feet.

… She did it! V is for victory!! V thrusts her fists towards the sky, celebrating her triumph. She beat Oda--

A force collides with her ankles and she falls on her ass once more. This must’ve been the sixth time today. This time, she remains on her back. This time, V will protest peacefully against these savage, brutal lessons. V wallows silently in what can only be described as stolen, spoiled victory. The cybernin stands over, tall and imposing like a tower. His hands are on his hips and he’s looking impatient. No, Oda, she is not interested in getting back up if she is only going to be knocked back down again.

“Stand.”

“Nope. Stayin’ right here.”

“Stand, we still have half an hour remaining.”

“Can we spend it stretching instead? I’m tired of being abused.”

“This is not abuse. Don’t be so extreme.”

“I’dunno, you’ve been kind of mean lately. Really rough. I’m made up of squishy meat, you know. Don’t have nearly as much cyberware as you do. Probably.” V plays up the victim card, making a big pout with her bottom lip. The most it got out of him was a dismissive headshake. How much more patience does he have left today?

“We cannot progress if I treat you delicately.”

V snorts suddenly, “You were being delicate until a couple days ago? Fuckin’ coulda fooled me.” When Oda extends his hand to her, presumably to help her back to her feet, V turns her head away and closes her eyes. “No.”

“V, get back up.”

“I want an apology.”

“You’re being childish.”

V turns her head back towards the ceiling, eyes fixing on Oda’s optical implants. It incites a shiver, or maybe she shivers because she was cold from the cool-down. He looks at her expectantly and she holds a staring contest… and a second shiver shoots down her spine, goosebumps arriving. Okay, enough.

“If you can’t say you’re sorry, I will also accept a night in the city as a form of apology.”

“No. You went with Takemura to Okayama just a few days ago.”

“... We didn’t specify that kind of stuff when we compromised. I want to go to the city tonight.”

“No.”

“ _Please?_ ”

“No.”

“Take me out tonight. Where there’s music and there’s people... Please?”

Oda observed the time, his impatience especially thin as he pinches the bridge between his eyes. V can read that much from his face. She is coming to learn his threshold, figure out how much whining he can tolerate before he submits or simply quits. “If you can throw me to the floor again, we will go to Okayama tonight. You can’t ask me again for another seven days.”

“Really?” V extends her arm, hand reaching for him.

“Yes.” He reaches down to assist--she pulls him suddenly and captures Oda by the neck with two strong legs. He is thrown down to the padded floor and Oda is now the one staring up at the ceiling. Listless. He can’t even be mad about this. It is five months into their first year and he still can’t anticipate when she’s going to pull something sly and deceptive.

V stands over him as he silently reflects on his failures.

“So, we’re going to the city tonight?”

“... I do not have an acceptable change of clothes in my bag. I’ll go home and--”

“You’ll meet me in the city.”

“... No, I will come back and pick you up.”

“No, you’ll pick me up in the city when I’m primed and ready.” He looks her up and down with a flat stare. She really thinks she is running the show. “I’m not ready! This,” she gestures to herself, “this isn’t presentable, and I want to look and feel… cute, ya’know?”

“Fine. You need a number for the cab?”

“No, I can figure it out. Go. Change, put on something nice--and your bike! When we meet up in the city, bring your bike.”

**Transition**

“You look lonely… I can fix that.”

“Is that a pick-up line?”

“It can be.”

V stole a small glance towards the stranger. Where he came from, she doesn’t know. He is here now, though. Sitting on the stool next to her. He’s staring blatantly as well. He’s not being subtle or discrete, but he is speaking quietly, and she’s kind of impressed by his forwardness.

He’s just soft-spoken enough that she needs to strain a little to hear him over the music of the bar, which admittedly isn’t even that loud to begin with.

He talks like a joytoy.

V is outwardly dismissive and cold, eyes looking towards her drink. It’s nearly empty now. Before she can properly polish it off, she sees the stranger wave his hand over the bar. He makes a gesture for the bartender. V does not protest as another drink is poured, and she sets her now-empty glass down in exchange for the full one.

“Do lonely girls like you get names?”

“V.” He earned at least that.

“If I buy you another drink, will I get another letter?”

V’s attention is held for a moment. She assesses him while she drinks, observing him from over the rim of her glass, and appreciates his overall appearance. Dressed decently. Buttoned shirt, a black jacket. He looks like he could work at an office, dressed in business-casual attire. It’s a good look. His hair is short, like it could be orderly if he needed to.

_Touch._

It’s a little playfully tussled. Definitely worthy of running her fingers through. His optics are fetching, too. Easy to see his thoughts as his eyes look back into her’s. They are on the same page, as far as their pursuits.

_Anyone will do._

He has the hint of stubble, and the faintest suggestion of grey hair along the sides. Jun carries the features of a man aging well. If he started spitting Japanese proverbs, she might actually try taking him somewhere--

“V.” Another voice, very clear and familiar, commands attention.

Gently, she begins pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. V adjusts, facing the counter in front of her as the handsome stranger beside her glances back to see the new voice that speaks her name. V sips from the rim of her glass, beginning to drink it in--not savoring, just eager to get it all down. The polite gentleman leans away from the counter, tugging gingerly at his collar as he greets Oda with nothing but politeness.

“Oh, hello.” Ah yes, formal greetings must be exchanged. “I was just getting acquainted with--”

“Please excuse us.” Sandayu didn’t bother being overly polite, his words as clipped as usual when he’s bordering on impatience. The stranger stood up and quietly retreated, leaving the pair entirely. V felt a little bad, but she wasn’t the one who was forward and rude this time around.

“A little rude, don’t you think?”

“You wanted to be taken out. I won’t accept tag-alongs.”

“Fine… Okay. Take me somewhere nice. With amber lights and piano ambiance.” Why was she trying to relive her not-date-night with Takemura? Was she trying to recapture something? Possibly.

“This is… very specific.”

“That a problem?” Leans against the bar counter and she peers up from her near-empty glass. “If it’s too much, I’m open to alternatives.” Eyes flit up towards him and she bats her lashes, daring him.

“What are you after?”

“Dinner and dancing.”

“Dancing…” The stiff Arasaka boyscout looks notably uncomfortable. “Dinner is reasonable. Dancing is…”

“Not your forte?” Yeah, that doesn’t surprise her. “Stop being a corpo-drone for half a minute. If you wanted to take a girl out on a date, where would you take her?”

“Out on a date…” He’s repeating back to her.

“Yeah, someone you want to impress. You take them out on a date. Show them a good time. Wine and dine them and…”

“This is not a date.”

“It isn’t. Obviously.”

“... Does there have to be dancing?”

“Yes. It’s non-negotiable.”

“Fine, but you will not drink excessively.”

“Deal.” Moderate drinking? Sure, yeah. V can drink responsibly. She finishes her drink and sets it down, gesturing towards Oda when the bartender makes his return. The Arasaka dog is trying not to roll his eyes before his optics glow, paying for V’s tab before they make their way towards the exit.

She doesn’t ask, because she knows she’s about to find out--did he bring it?

They walk outside and bask in the dying sunlight. Oda, who is wearing a comfortable leather jacket over his casual-yet-formal clothes, leads V towards a sleek, black motorbike. It’s lean and designed for speed, but somehow she doubts he’s ever gone faster than the demanded speed limit. Oda is something of a boyscout, after all. He would never dare test the law, would he? No, not Sandayu Oda.

One of two helmets is offered to her, and she seems somewhat surprised. She gets her own? It looks basic, doesn’t really match his, but she puts it on quickly as he mounts the bike and the machine under him comes to life. V follows behind him, scooting close behind him until she can comfortably wrap her arms around his center.

He gently takes off, merging into steady traffic.

**Transition**

“Do you come here often?” V inspects the menu closely, able to read most of the menu thanks to her upbringing; being brought up near Jig-Jig Street has its pros and cons. The font is a little hard to read with the soft lighting, but she doesn’t mind. The quiet restaurant radiates with a visual warmth. It would be a great place to go out for a date, but very… expensive, judging by the pricing.

“I have never been here, no.” He passively explores the options either with boredom or indifference--stop, V, that’s probably just his face. He always looks like that.

Attention splits from him temporarily to examine the view of Okayama. The metropolitan area is far away, but much of what remains of the city is beautiful. There seems to be a stream or river close by, and a bridge with headlights that constantly roll to and from opposing sides, crossing the steady river. When she looks back towards Oda, he is looking at the view as well.

“... Oda, if the food is as good as the ambiance and view, you will pass your dating assessment with a perfect score.”

This causes him to straighten his posture and look directly at her. Oh, suddenly there’s a chill. That’s right. His optics. The amber lighting robs his eyes of their usual icy hue, making them falsely yellow, golden. He’s completely unaware of this, but V won’t dare point it out to him.

“Am I being tested?”

“Could think of it that way.”

“Tested for… what? Dating?”

A quick, short nod. V appears too serious, “And to see if you would make a good boyfriend.”

He meets her with equal seriousness, “You have terrible judgement. I am doomed to fail.”

“That’s not true. I have great judgement…” V feels a pang of dishonesty. Oda’s brow raises. “... Great judgement, when it comes to guys. Guys and dating.” The lids on his eyes lower, sapping away her confidence. Her face is hot as she looks down at the menu. Quick, change the subject.

“What’re you ordering?”

“Why? Are you struggling to read the menu?”

“No?” She looks marginally insulted. “I’m curious. I can read just fine.” His eyes look down towards the menu, but his disbelief is clear. V leans forward a little, “Minus five points.”

“What?”

“You lost five points. You better work extra hard now if you want a perfect score.” Her eyes fall back down on the menu. “I wanted to know your thoughts on shabu shabu and if you were willing to try it with me.”

“Do you know what shabu shabu is?”

“I know about it… I never tried it.”

“Very well,” he closed the menu and set it aside at the end of the table, “we will order a standard assortment and I will show you how to eat shabu shabu.”

Yes. Success. V is short for victorious.

“... Plus five points.” V is careful not to show how pleased she is and Oda is careful not to reveal his satisfaction in earning his five points back.

Their order is placed and time passes before a variety of places is put down before them, and a large steel bowl is placed down as well, resting at the center of the table on a platform that acts as a type of heating plate. The lid of the steel bowl is removed and steam gently erupts. Oda does not wait, he picks up a set of chopsticks and seems to be choosing some carrots from one of the plates.

“You will first want to add flavorful vegetables into the water.”

“Like… making a broth?”

“Mh. You may think of it that way.” V follows his example and applies more veggies into the mix. Oda next applies mushrooms in. “Mushrooms hold a lot of water… You’ll burn your mouth if you try to eat it too quickly.”

“I’m not going to burn my mouth…” She gripes quietly.

“When you want to cook your meat, you take it into the water and swish it as it cooks. Try not to let go…”

Much of this dish was adding and waiting. She thought of it as making soup, but when it came to the meat, she didn’t let the meat cook in the water for long. Oda instructed her to use the sauce for more flavoring, suggested that she let the meat and veggies cool over the bowl of rice that was provided for her. She notices that he leaves his mushrooms in his dipping cup to cool. She did the same with her mushrooms.

“Let the ingredients you took from the pot settle on top of the rice. What drips off will add flavor to the rice underneath…”

When she thought they were approaching the end of their meal, Oda added in noodles. V wasn’t sure if she had room left to part-take in noodles. Something bothers her, though. She asks, despite running the risk of sounding absolutely stupid-- “Why did you just put the noodles in now?”

“You want to fill-up on everything else before noodles.” Ah, right… The way she twists her brows tells him that she doesn’t follow. He rephrases for her, “... You want to eat everything else before you consume unnecessary carbs.”

“That… makes sense.”

Silence accompanied by the soft sounds of a distant piano fills the lull between conversation. It used to be she felt awkward in Oda’s silence, but she notices the quiet silence less and less. It’s only awkward if she makes it awkward. Oda is entirely content with his own silence… When did that change happen?

Gradually, her attention is pulled to the large window that overlooks the city’s nightly landscape. She has plans to ask Oda to dance, if only because she knows he would never work up the nerve. V is chasing the thrill of touch, and she doesn’t care who it comes from. Soft-touch, like when Takemura was leading her in a dance. Not the rough-touch like when Oda was throwing her onto a mat all day. Surely Oda, who is probably skilled in everything under the sun, knew how to dance.

There’s the faintest reflection in the window. She can see herself, barely. She can see Oda, too. Oda, who was previously enjoying his noodles, brought his head up and he’s looking at her. Strange that she didn’t feel his optics stabbing into her this time. V turns her head and looks at him directly, questioning him with a look.

“... The bowl.” He gestures towards her side of the table. “The empty one there. Hand it to me.” Oh, V was wondering what they gave her an extra bowl for. She gives him her spare bowl, as to which he fills it with the broth from the pot, and he carefully hands it back.

“At the end, it’s considered very healthy to drink it. Wait for it to cool down.” He resumes where he left off, though there doesn’t seem to be many noodles left. Her eyes fall down towards her broth from the pot and then she looks back up--

“Would you like to dance?”

Oda’s hand slowed and his jaw stops briefly. Something about Oda’s silence has been altered. V feels the disturbance. The cybernin across from her straightens his posture, spine fully erect as he chews much slower now. V watches quietly, a little concerned for him as she lifts her bowl and lightly blows over it to cool down the contents.

“... No.”

It took him a minute to get there, but okay--

“Please, Oda?”

“I will not.”

“Why?”

“This is not a dancing establishment.”

Carefully, V looked around to their immediate area. The other patrons were few and far between, and there seems to be enough space between the tables that they could do some slow-dancing if they really wa--

“I have no interest in dancing with you.”

“Harsh.” V cups her soup bowl with both hands, warming her palms as she observes Oda from over the rim. “So when I said dinner and dancing… the dancing part--what were you planning on us doing?”

“Taking you somewhere so you could, in your terms, get it out of your system.”

“Do you just not like dancing? Or is it me you don’t like?” V anticipates something cruel and mean-spirited. Their eyes are connected for a few moments longer, but Oda does not grant V an answer. He takes interest in the broth instead, acquiring a bowl for himself.

“Drink your soup, V. We’ll be going somewhere more ideal for your type of dancing.”

**Transition**

There are many strangers occupying the floor. The dance floor is very retro-disco, or so V thinks. It’s made up of squares that light up in time with the music that plays throughout the room. It’s spacious and warm among the various bodies, but not so crowded that a face could get lost in the crowd.

There’s an elevated area where the bar and common walk-ways reside. A rail protects patrons from stumbling down into the dance floor by accident. That’s where Oda stands, nursing what V can only assume is water or some virgin-mixture.

Straight-laced corpo-dog.

Usually V had to be pretty drunk to dance comfortably in her own skin. Something about liquor breaks down the stiffness in her arms and shoulders, but she didn’t have trouble this time. This place didn’t know her, didn’t care about her. Lonesome in some way, but also freeing--V could move in any way she pleased and fear no judgement. With the one exception. The exception’s name is Sandayu Oda.

Time escaped her. She found other people to distract her. There was a cute girl with freckles that met eyes with her, pink hair cut in a short bob. A friendly invitation is exchanged in facial-language. V humored her. They understood it was just dancing for the sake of dancing, and the unspoken dialog didn’t advertise anything overtly sexual or suggestive. The cute stranger pulled something corny on the floor, putting her index and middle fingers into V shapes and drawing them across her eyes. Classic, corny.

A snake tattoo is wrapped around her wrist, discreetly hidden under several shining, clinking bracelets.

V’s body falls out of time with the music and she wonders if she should’ve texted Yuki and told her to meet her here. Somehow, she suspects Oda wouldn’t have let that fly. She’s torn between feelings of guilt and caution, and V isn’t sure if she can ask this perfectly cute stranger if she knows Yuki, or if it would be a good idea.

If Oda noticed V was chatting up someone with tattoos, he’d get bent out of shape, wouldn’t he?

Out of curiosity, she looks out from the crowd and seeks his outline against the railings that separate the dance floor from the bar-area. He’s observing her with a dim light of purple cast over him. V looks back to her dance partner and looks extra-apologetic as she breaks away. The girl doesn’t take offense, continuing to bop along in time to a fast beat as V abandons her.

The crowd gets thinner on her way out and she approaches Oda, gently bracing the railing as she looks up at him. He looks at her, having nothing to say. The Arasaka dog just stares at her expectantly. Yes? V? Did you want something?

“You look lonely…” Despite her elevated pulse and being slightly exasperated from dancing, she slows her breath and tries to play it cool as she quotes the handsome stranger who hit on her earlier that day. “I can fix that.”

Oda makes a mild shake of the head and scans the dance floor, refusing to dignify her pick-up line with a response. Something about his rejection brings a grin to her face. It’s funny to her, because if she walked away at this very moment, his eyes would fall back on her, track her every move. V knows this. He confirms this theory when she steps away and makes her way to the short set of stairs that lead up to the bar platform, and she follows the railing back to him.

V has nothing to say, no saucy one-liners or mean remarks. She’s just trying to calm down at this point. Being on the floor, mixing with strangers, being _touched_ by sensual movers and shakers… It helps elevate something in her. At the moment, though, she needs a break from the bass that shook her heart. It reminds her of the heart condition she used to have.

The woman somewhat mirrors Oda, leaning against the railing and observing the scene stretched out before her.

“... Is this how you spent your time in Night City?” At first she wasn’t sure she heard him over the noise that pumped over their heads.

“What do you mean?”

“Drinking and looking foolish on a dance floor for all to see.”

“I’ll look like a gonk whether I dance or not, right?”

Oda wasn’t able to counter. Something she said, in a strange way, stumped him. He straightened his face, neutral indifference coming over him as his eyes passively scanned the floor. There were many strangers and none of them seemed to mind how they appear as they move along to the pace set by the music playing overhead.

“It wasn’t always loud music and dancing. Most of the time it was work. Beating the streets day-in, day-out. Feels like I was working just to stay on top of bills… There were a couple jobs that took me to some fun places, though.”

“I’m impressed. I did not think thieves had any work ethic.” His dry tone suggests sarcasm. Or was he being honest? It is so hard reading him sometimes… She doesn’t know whether he’s mocking her or really means what he says, so she can’t even tell him off.

She hangs on for a couple beats and eventually leans against the rail further to get a better look at his face, “You look bored.”

“If I look bored, it is because I _am._ ” He tries to keep his face turned away from her.

“Only boring people are bored.” V nudged his elbow slightly, easily earning his reluctant stare. In a pop-quiz kind of way, she asks, “What does it take to stop boredom?” He doesn’t know how to answer her. It seems he has her at a new disadvantage. Not only out of his element, but he’s pushed out of his social awareness just long enough to be caught off-guard by her. “It’s rhetorical, you gonk. You can’t expect entertainment all the time. Sometimes you have to make your own fun. You know what fun is, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.” He stops leaning against the railing and stands. His hands remain on the cold metal rail that fences off the dance floor.

“What’s fun to Oda, then? _Don’t_ say jogging.” V remains as she is, her elbows resting on the metal pole. “Maybe you should try dancing.”

He shakes his head, attention fixing back on the sea of people before him.

“Why not?” V feels like she’s starting to grate on his patience. Understandably. She can’t imagine him cutting a rug. Oda’s a perfectionist. Takemura told her that once. He’s probably more afraid of failure than anyone. Suddenly, V sees him in an entirely human light. So she stops pressing the issue.

When he looks at her again, the light from the flooring taints his eyes with the respective colors. It’s disorienting. All this time and she still isn’t sure what color his eyes are.

“... Are you done?” He sounds a little abrasive. Maybe he realizes this because he follows up with-- “It’s getting late.”

“Yeah. We can go…”

**Transition**

The bike was her idea; she insisted he take her around on his bike and although he didn’t understand the why, he didn’t see a reason to argue. Safety precautions demanded that she have her own helmet, though. V secured her helmet on her head and while it wasn’t quite as cool as Oda’s, she could see perfectly and hear him clearly.

The engine vibrates when revved, which Oda doesn’t do nearly enough in her opinion. Although perhaps that’s for the best. He might actually be put-off from riding with her if he found out just how much she liked his bike. He might think she’s pathetic if she let slip how much she liked riding on the back. V feels so starved for physical contact. He can never know how much she enjoys holding on. Oda cannot find out how nice it feels to brace against his warm back.

If he found out, he’d be disgusted and maybe mistake this admission as a confession. She only likes hugging his back because it fills a void. V could be holding onto anyone and it would be enough. Anyone would do.

Anyone.

They slow down as they approach a red light. His feet come down as they idle in anticipation for the sign to change, “This… This is fun.”

“What?” Did she hear that? Did Oda say that? V lifts her head and tries to push her chin to his shoulder. “What’s fun?”

“Mh…” He turns his head a little, clearing his throat. “Driving.”

“Riding around on your bike?”

“Mh.” He makes a short nod.

“... Do you have a favorite route you like to take when you go home?” She doesn’t think she can press herself against his back any harder. She squeezes her wrist with the opposite hand, holding just a little tighter. “Or you could just… take a detour. Take me somewhere cool, _Oda-kun._ With a lot of curves?”

He’s quiet. Sandayu doesn’t answer, but the devil’s in the details. Peering over his shoulder, she could see his hand fidgeting at the handle and feel his legs adjusting as he steps forward, walking the bike a little.

“... When I lean, I need you to lean with me.” The light turns green.

“I can do that.” His feet come up after his bike starts to roll forward, hand tightening on the ignition.

“When I accelerate or slow down, try not to hit your helmet against mine.” When he applies more acceleration, her body wants to pull back and she counters the momentum and then stabilizes. She tries not to hit her helmet with his when she jerks forward--straightening her posture.

“No promises on that, but I’ll try?” He turns and starts to lean, so she leans with him, merging into medium traffic. It slowed progress down for a while, but the closer towards the outskirts of the city, the more it started to thin out.

The light of the city begins to fade away. Headlights, street lights, they’re becoming sparse. A slow incline takes them out of the city and V has no idea what direction they’re headed, but her arms aren’t tired and her palms are comfortably pressed against Oda’s stomach. Eventually, it became obvious that they weren’t in Okayama anymore.

V turns her head and witnesses a sea of light stretched out before her. The entire city is resting right over there, and Oda is still driving up the side of what she can only assume is a hill. He keeps slowing down at the harder curves, winding up the hair-pin style road that continues winding up this incline. It’s too tall to be a hill, too short to be a proper mountain, and V can’t tell how much further ‘up’ it goes, and she may never know in this lighting.

Oda finally slows down after one more curve and comes to a gradual stop at the shoulder of the road, a few mere feet away from the railing. He finally puts his feet down and keeps the bike steady with his legs, pulling his helmet off. She does the same as him and pushes her hair back, admiring the view.

They sit in comfortable silence as they observe Okayama’s glow, and neither Oda or V had anything urgent to say. No clever one-liners, no snide remarks. Just silence that is occasionally interrupted by a passing car.

… This is worth scrolling, so she engages the chip and begins recording everything.

V takes in the view, admiring the way the lights of the city start to glitter and twinkle at her. Content with this, her eyes pan over towards her driver. His back is broad and he’s leaned forward slightly, probably palming or hugging his helmet. V touches the middle of his back, but she doesn’t want to break the peaceful silence. He straightens his posture and looks over his shoulder towards her.

A sudden flutter erupts in her chest and her mind… skips… 

Oda looks at her expectantly, waiting.

She’s not sure what she wanted to tell him or what she was thinking, but eventually croaked out, “Thank you.”

They remain still for a beat. Two beats. Three… He looks back towards the city. V swears she caught him smiling… Can’t believe she caught it while she was scrolling.

Oda receives a perfect score for the dating assessment.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't know what to put here ;u; but thank you for the kudos, please check out @OdaRematchGame on twitter if you like otome dating games and odaodaoda, thank you ;u;

“Tomorrow is your assessment. You will be displaying your natural strength and agility… There will likely be some simple hand-to-hand and other stress tests, but you are more than prepared for what's to come.”

V leans forward towards her knees, pulling them towards her so she could simply rest her chin on one of her knees. A side-long glance is passed towards her instructor. He is relaxed, one leg straightened out and the other bent. He’s leaning back, propped by his arms, hands flat on the gym floor. The ponytail keeps his brow free of stray strands of hair.

They’re both a little sweaty. V is keenly aware of this. Specifically, she is aware of the faint sweat above his brow and along his neck, providing a subtle shine.

“Your physical body has shown no signs of any cancers or defects. One less thing to concern yourself with.”

"Mhm." There is a damp spot along his grey shirt. Obviously there’s the pit stains--V’s sure she has them, too--but he has sweat in other places, too. A little damp spot that started from his collar, tapered towards the center of his chest.

V finds herself rubbing her bottom lip against the fabric that covers her knee.

“V.” Her eyes lift up towards his eyes. He’s waiting for her to say something. Did he ask something? Fuck.

“Yeah?”

“Where is your mind?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not listening.”

“Am, too. Sounds like you’re more worried about this assessment than I am.”

“Of course I am worried.” He gives her a glare, but it isn’t as harsh as it could be. She doesn’t feel a chill when he draws his pale brows together. “If you do poorly, it reflects badly on me in return. I am the one who has been overseeing your training.”

“So I should be calling you Oda-sensei?” A slick grin comes to her face. Her obvious tease brought out a plain look of disapproval.

“If you won’t excel for yourself, consider excelling on my behalf... Out of respect for your _sensei._ ” There’s a twist to the concept suddenly. Oda shifts, moving to stand on his feet. He bends and presses against the mat, his strong back towards her. V couldn’t help but notice the damp fabric covering his trapezius triangle and her mind lags once again. Her instructor stands completely, but V remains exactly how she is.

Oda is a perfectionist, so of course he’d be anxious about his pupil’s assessment.

V can’t help but tease him, though.

“ _Oda-sensei._ ” V says it a little louder, and he looks at her. He heard her. What else did she want? V tries to hide her grin by pressing her mouth against her knee, opting for silence rather than an explanation. This behavior confuses him, that much is clear. She can read it on his face. Why does she find that so funny?

Need to stop acting like a gonk…

“Are you taking any of this seriously?”

“Relax.” She draws her mouth away from her knee and throws away her childish inclinations, having no idea where they came from to begin with. “I won’t half-ass it… but if you really want me to do my best... you'll give me a prize if I do well.” Oda is approaching her as she makes her offer, standing a foot away. He brings down a hand, offering to bring her up to her feet. She takes his offer and squeezes. His hand is warm.

“Are you bargaining?”

“Maybe.” She grunts as he lifts and she pulls herself to her feet. “Take me for a ride on your bike.”

Oda furrows his brows again. Does he think she’s joking? There was mischief around V before, but she’s very serious about this proposal. Things are changing between them. He’s struggling to tell when she’s serious or joking.

“That wasn’t part of our arrangement.” His hands settle on his hips.

“This isn’t that. This is totally different.” She can look at both of his eyes clearly when his hair isn’t in his face. Pushing further, she insists. “Think of it as an incentive. If I exceed your expectations… you take me on a bike ride.” Oda doesn’t seem willing to commit. For some reason, Oda is only skeptical.

“Will the destination be Okayama?” Tsk, he’s so suspicious of her, that much is obvious.

“We’ll go anywhere you want to go. For as long as you want--you pick.” It’s obvious in her eyes that she is pressing him, but this new mode of thought seems to put him at a disadvantage. V knows he’s about to cave, though. It’s as clear as the indecisiveness in his eyes. V knows she won before he finally--

“Fine.” His submission makes her lips turn, but she tries not to grin too much. Her victory doesn’t last long. “You will not see me tomorrow for your assessment. I will be absent the entire day. So I expect you to perform your best even though I am not present.”

He’ll hear of her performance, obviously.

V doesn’t flinch, “Deal.”

V will _try_ not to do anything that would cause her ‘sensei’ undue embarrassment during the assessment.

**Transition**

"Today we will observe the subject and her progress from the last four months."

The two shareholders are seated comfortably, facing the observation glass with undivided attention. The glass doubled as a one-way mirror, concealing the few people of interest that actually have significant standing in the Arasaka corporation.

Hanako sits beside her father, Saburo Arasaka, like she has for many, many years. However, this is different. Her father wears her brother’s face.

There are other people of interest in the room with them. A representative of Militech observes quietly--a stand-in for Lucas Harford who, unfortunately, could not attend. Something Saburo will not forget anytime soon. There is also Takemura, who is standing at attention with the glass at his back and a device in-hand.

Hanako’s little shadow is also standing at attention, diligent and quiet towards the back of the room. He has a view of most everything from where he stands. Oda has a good view of the assessment room as well.

Takemura conducts himself like he is giving a presentation, "Without a baseline of pre-replication, we have no choice but to draw data from general biological and genetic statistics relevant to the subject." Across the glass, data is played out before the seated audience. It confirms the basic, factual information; how tall V is, what she weighs, and even smaller details about her such as white blood cell count, muscle enzymes, and so forth. It would appear her heart rate is being tracked in real-time. V is calm, collected. The strong, consistent heart beat confirms this. It remains steady as she is shown into the room on the opposite side of the glass.

"The subject has been permitted only basic implants. Otherwise, she has no modifications or augments that would put her at any physical advantage. An important detail worth noting when we observe her martial prowess. First, we will witness her strength and endurance trials and compare them to the average group scores relevant to her demographic."

The woman standing alone in the room is looking towards the glass. From her side, she can only see her reflection, but her eyes span across the mirror. She has no illusions about the purpose of the mirror.

Takemura engages in a device that he's been palming in his hand. His voice is heard on the other side of the divider, "V, you may begin."

For an entire hour-slot, V put herself under serious physical stress for the casual viewing of people she couldn’t see.

It felt really awkward sometimes, but the people on the other side of the glass likely didn’t care.

Near the hour-mark, Takemura makes observation comments, pulling up numbers of data and placing them on the glass for the viewing pleasures of the shareholders and the representative of Militech.

"It appears she is capable of hitting higher numbers than the statistical average, a sign that bodes well for future prospects in human replication. As far as physical plasticity is concerned, this is ideal. She has made great strides. If her progress continues, she could be a valuable asset for tactical operations."

Takemura’s voice is heard on V’s side of the glass, “That is enough. We will transition to combat assessment.”

A person she does not recognize enters the room from the door opposite of the one she entered. He is dressed in simple athletic attire, ideal for free-reign for movement. He stops some several feet away from her and makes a slight bow. It feels strange to do it, but she makes a similar one, if only to further put on a show for her unseen audience.

Need to put on a show for those mysterious shareholders, after all.

She has only just managed to regain some of her composure-- "V, you may begin self-defense routines."

Piercing white optics observe V with critical focus. No one else is nearly as invested as Oda. He committed a lot of time and exertion into training V. Of course he would be invested. However, he has been conditioned nearly his entire life to try and conceal outward expression. To wear a pokerface. To hide his 'tells'. Everyone in the room observing V watch her with a similarly practiced indifference. If they are impressed or not, they will not show it.

Oda is on edge from where he stands.

No one is quite as tense as he is at this very moment, and no one will ever know how tightly his fists are clenched as she makes her slow approach to her opponent. Her body language suggests to him that she is hesitant to engage. It seems strange to him. When has V ever been timid? When is she not-aggressive?

Her opponent lunges. He swings with his left, she ducks towards her right. He swings with his right, she ducks towards her left--her arm hooks his and she completes a smooth follow-through. Her momentum is enough to counter his weight when she secures her leg around his neck and his body is thrown to the padded flooring.

_It’s not over, V._

Her opponent sweeps towards her feet, an aggression she is too familiar with--it was easy to evade.

_Do not hesitate._

He pursues her again, and as Oda observes from the outside looking in, he wonders if he wasn’t hard enough on her--

V threw the man twice her size across the room without strength but with redirected momentum. The tension in his shoulders relax marginally as his concerns are swept aside. His silent approval is undetected and unnoticeable from behind the seated audience.

Near the end of the hour mark, she was flushed and slick from sweat. Her exertion was clear on her face and her legs betrayed her; Oda knew her weaknesses. Her ankles are weak and she can only last so long.

Takemura’s voice calls it, “Thank you, V. That is all for today.”

Her opponent ceased. V, who was tense and prepared for more, suddenly sagged at her shoulders. Finally. Eyes close and she realizes how hard she was breathing. Deep, fast hauls of air fill her. Her face is hot and much of her is damp with sweat. Her hair is likely… not in the best state, arguably.

Just standing still, she could feel her body heat radiating out.

“Is this the part where I announce my list of demands, or am I gonna have to wait until after you’re all done with your little meeting?” She wipes her wrist against her forehead, looking towards the mirror.

It’s very quiet. V questions whether or not he heard her. Is she being ignored?

V turns towards the mirror properly and glares into it, awaiting confirmation.

The silence breaks, “You are permitted to speak.”

Permitted to speak… Interesting choice of words.

“As great as the compound is, it’s starting to make me cagey. You want my continued cooperation, you’re gonna have to let me come and go when I feel like it. Weekdays, I’ll play along with the training routines. Weekends, I get to myself.” At least, until plans change later. V doesn’t know what to anticipate for the future, but she accurately recalls Oda’s speculation. He mentioned to her previously that she could be put in a counter-operative role. If that’s the case, that role wouldn’t be restricted to the typical Monday through Friday work-week.

“If this… situation... changes, we’ll regroup on terms and conditions and come to a new compromise. Next, I want to be compensated for my time… I’d rather do anything else than train for long hours every damn day, so either training hours get shorter, or I get paid for my time.”

V takes a beat, a brief pause. Takemura isn’t trying to interject. V assumes she still has the floor.

“... I want to keep my privacy. What I do when I’m fucking off outside of the compound will not be a concern.” V tries to think of anything she left out. Time, money, privacy. Was there anything else she forgot? “I’m not sure what cyberware augments and implants I’m allowed to have or… what Arasaka will offer, but I get to decide my own improvements and upgrades. Being called Arasaka property makes it sound like I’m an object that doesn’t have a say in those kinds of decisions. If that’s the kind of show you’re running, you should probably consider replicating a pushover.”

The silence that carries on leaves V feeling awkward. She looks at the mirror expectantly, waiting… Waiting--

“This has been noted. Thank you, V. You may show yourself out.”

Oda watches like a fly on the wall from a distance as V shows herself to the exit. It is very quiet in the observation room. Takemura is not the only one who is watching Saburo with silent anticipation.

The foreign rep from Militech is eager to chip in, unable to read the room.

“If I’m reading the data correctly, she’s not showing signs of any cancers… but it looks like her replication wasn’t that long ago, so it’s still too early to invest. Maybe in a year’s time, Mr. Harford--”

“What makes you think a second invitation will be extended?” Saburo’s voice is forward but not loud. It’s enough to put the Militech rep into a more submissive disposition.

Hanako speaks, and the stiffness of the room is lightened, “Takemura-san, what of V’s mental health?”

“We have not dissected her psychological profile. We can speculate only from what was gathered prior to her… expiration.” Takemura struggles to phrase it appropriately, but even with his careful choice of words, he looks displeased. He presses on. “While the removal of the biochip was successful, we suspect impressions of the engram may still remain within her psyche. There have been no questionable episodes as of yet, but we will continue to monitor her behavior. Until we are certain she is not a risk, she will be on a very mild psychosupressent.”

Oda swallowed to quench the dryness in his throat.

“She is a liability.” Saburo, with so few words, draws the room into silence once more.

Hanako can already anticipate her father’s decision, and yet...

**Transition**

The morning is warm and the dew leaves the foliage especially glossy and lush. The sun coming up is starting to burn the moisture away from the grass. There’s the barest smell of something sweet in the air. For a moment, he is at ease. There’s a sense of peace here that can’t be found in the city. For some reason he thought the higher the apartment, the further away he would be from the noise. That was not the case.

Now that he’s forced to endure city living, he’s able to appreciate the calm simplicity of Arasaka’s training facility--

“What did you hear about the assessment?”

Well, nothing’s perfect.

V looks at the cyberninja with increasing expectations. She’s not trying to hide it. She’s seeking validation and affirmation. V has an ego and it needs feeding.

“You should not have spoken so boldly. Your forwardness will do you no favors.” He pulls a hair-tie from her wrist and collects his hair, drawing it away from his face after they finished their morning sprint.

“You know I could’ve been way worse… So? What happened on the other side of the glass? Did they like me?”

Oda was quiet as he pulls the sliding door open, directing her inside.

“Did I suck that bad?”

“... No.” He follows her into the gym, trying to force his headspace into a professional, clinical state. “You did well. A shareholder has taken an interest in overseeing your progress… This is good news. I hear you have new accommodations. With that comes new boundaries and expectations.”

“Right, I guess they gave you the full run-down, didn’t they?”

“Mh. You will participate in regularly scheduled training. You will not be paid for the time you spend training. However, an incentive for accomplishing milestones and exceeding expectations, a sizable bonus will be deposited into your personal account. You will also be granted stock options.” Arasaka stock options… Can’t turn her nose up at that… Yeah, like she knows what to do with fucking stock options.

“Your shareholder has assumed full control of this project.”

Oda expected V to ask about the new shareholder, the overseer of her project. Instead she chirps, “I thought Takemura was the one leading the project… Or, was he just my handler?”

They have begun their stretch routine, and they’re cycling through their stretches but neither are timing their holds. Oda tries to count down from ten, but V’s questions are very… distracting.

“Oda? Is he my handler?” V is looking up at him with a face that chafes him somehow. He averts his eyes as she prods him with irrelevant inquiries. “Or, is he… a legal guardian? Now that a shareholder took over--”

“ **Why does it matter?** ”

Immediately, regret spikes into him.

He didn’t mean to be so abrupt.

A strange pit dropped into his stomach immediately. It’s weight increases tenfold as he looks at V, anticipating her to snap back at him. She didn’t appear angry at his rudeness. If anything, she just looks surprised. V shakes her head a little, clearing her throat.

“It doesn’t.”

Oda was relatively quiet for most of the day.

So was V.

**Transition**

It was uncomfortable for most of the day, but V didn’t forget their bargain. Unfortunately, she stubbornly clung to little victories and promises. Like the agreement they had made prior to V’s physical assessment.

“Are we going for a ride after training today or nah?” One dog, one bone. V didn’t have an interest in arguing with him, and she didn’t care enough to pull an apology from him, either. The cybernin passes V a look. She doesn’t seem the least bit put-off by his glare. Ordinarily, giving anyone such a look could inspire a shiver or a chill. There’s no abrupt chill, though. It never comes.

V is looking at him like she’s waiting for something. A yes or no answer. His cold optics don’t work on her. The edge has become dull, or she has grown used to it. Either way, she can’t be intimidated at this point. She’s not recoiling or trying to shrink. Troublesome.

Oda checks the time. Reluctantly, he gives in.

“Fine. Yes.” His confirmation caused an immediate grin to spread across her face, and it’s almost as if his rudeness from earlier was forgotten entirely. Almost like he was forgiven.

V tucks her thumbs towards the door across the gym, “I’m gonna shower and change and--” then she gestures towards him, “--you stink, so you should probably shower, too. You have any spare clothes?”

“... Yes.”

She doesn’t need to know that he had planned a ride, that up until the awkwardness, he was--

“Good. I’ll be quick.” V is making her way towards the respective room, but feels inclined to make an offer. “Unless you want to join me?”

He shakes his head, rolling his eyes at her horrible joke.

**Transition**

May is just warm enough to be pleasant, but cool enough to necessitate a leather jacket.

The rain was becoming sparse in recent days and something sweet occasionally tickles V’s nose.

The road bends around a stretch of land, but as they carry on this route, a massive body of water is revealed as the trees and landscape falls away. The water is sparkling, a beautiful combination of green and blue with occasional hints of white that appear on the crests of choppy waves, but overall the waters appear passive.

V isn’t aware, but she’s holding her driver tighter as the sea passes by.

There’s bits of land stretched out there. From what she understands, Kawaga is across the waters. Last she heard, that’s where Takemura was stationed. There’s a bridge that reaches towards that large island. In passing, V wondered what the old Arasaka dog was doing at this time of day. Was he in a corner office with a view of the waters? Did he often look at the same waves and wax on with Japanese proverbs?

Her mind wanders on and escapes her entirely as the sky shows hints of orange.

The motor starts to soften and things are slowing down. They’re coming upon a small town. From a distance, it looks like a small port town. Humble, plain, boring. Out of the way. Hidden. Did Oda know this place existed, or was this an accidental discovery? V isn’t sure what to think as he slows down and turns into the little sea-side village.

Her chin is tucking towards his shoulder, “Where are we?”

“Tamano.”

Like she knows where that is.

Nothing further explained, they go deeper into the little town and the sound of laughing seagulls are heard over the soft lapping of waves knocking against a nearby marina. They gently breeze by various buildings, some looking residential. Occasionally a store breaks apart the arrangement of homes. The closer to the marina they got, the more sparse the homes and buildings became.

They slow down and turned into a parking lot that was entirely empty, with the exception of the horse they rode in on. This seems like the ideal parking lot for the marina, given that the marina was quite literally a stone’s throw away.

The bike kick-stand is put down and V dismounts, removing her helmet and taking in her immediate surroundings.

“You come here often?”

“No…” He hands his helmet from one of the handle grips and pushes his hair back as V set her helmet on the opposite handle and approaches the guard rail to observe the various boats tethered to the marina. Everything, from the view of the water to the taste of the air, felt weird and strange. The sun continues to taint the canvas with orange hues.

It comes to her suddenly; she should scroll this. V starts recording, intent on capturing the sun as it saturates the world with a warm glow. It’s all beautiful, but also… very weird.

V could hear Oda’s shoes softly scuff the parking lot pavement. He braces against the railing and leans forward a little. A slow pan his way, V takes in his side-profile. With an undercut like that, his ear was made prominent. Almost vulnerable. His ear taunts her. Probably not intentional. Oda didn’t style his hair with the intention of being a distraction. However, an impulse rises in her. V suppresses it entirely and her eyes fix themselves towards the horizon.

“This feel off to you? Like, something’s wrong with this picture?”

“What? No.” Looking forward with her, he tries to look for anything out of place or strange. “All is as it should be.”

“Something about this…” It just doesn’t feel right to her. She stews on it for a while, enjoying the not-rotten stench of chemicals, pollution. Her eyes look for the breakwater wall, and she doesn’t see any dying fish or litter. Then she looks towards her feet, near the railing, and then back towards the parking lot, finding no spare used needles or--

“I guess… this is what it’s supposed to be like.” She looks back towards the waves, enjoying the way the light refracts on the waters. “The wind is coming from over the water. Keep expecting it to stink but it just smells and tastes like salt… It’s green, too. Er, blue… Mostly green. Green-blue.”

“Green-blue.” He repeats, not at all impressed by her inability to describe colors. She gestures out towards the waters.

“Yeah, look at it. Is it supposed to be that color?”

“... Yes.”

The silence resumes. She thought to stop scrolling, but she was distracted by Oda. He leaned away from the railing and started walking somewhere. She follows him towards the entry of the parking lot, eventually joining him along the sidewalk. There’s a vending machine with a bright, vivid touch-display. There are many options, but one in particular speaks to her.

Oda doesn’t look at the options long. He selects the fizzy peach drink. The vending machine spits out a narrow can and he plucks it up.

“I want one, too.” She leans against the side of the vending machine. V didn’t have to pout too hard.

“What flavor?”

“Peach.”

A second can drops from the machine and the two of them crack open their drinks. A sweet flavor overwhelms her mouth and the bubbling teases her nose when she tilts her head back to sip. V didn’t linger around by the vending machine with her driver for long, though.

The entry for the marina is not far from them, and V feels like exploring.

Why not?

“Where are you going?” He is now the one tailing behind her wake. Oda doubles his pace to catch up to her side.

“Don’t know.”

“V.”

The former merc hooks her arm around the rail by the entry way. If it was a privately owned marina, V wouldn’t know. There’s a sign around here that would tell her, most likely. Fortunately, V is a foreigner, and she can just play up her ignorance if she gets into trouble. Oda, however, might be more reluctant.

“V…” He tries to press her for an answer, but she pays Oda little mind as she nurses her drink and walks along the docked boats. From what she can tell, there’s no one but them loitering in the immediate area.

“I’m not sure we are allowed to be here…”

“We’re not delinquents. We’re not up to shady biz. Just walkin’ around.” She keeps walking until they can go no further and lowers down, sitting on the end of the walkway. Her feet are dangling over, but her legs are definitely not long enough to touch the calm little waves. Her can is tucked between her knees and she admires the view.

"You like peaches?"

"I do."

V turns a little, looking over her shoulder. Why is he still standing there? There’s plenty of room beside her. She glares up at him and he takes notice, but doesn’t recognize the silent demand she makes. It becomes clear to him when V puts her hand down on the spot next to her.

The Arasaka dog abides and sits down next to the stray from Night City. Passive conversation continues.

"Someone told me there's a peach festival in Okayama every year."

"Mm... Momotaro. Hero of Justice."

"What's all that about?"

"Am I to enlighten you on everything you don’t know?”

“I mean, I could think of worse fates.” She offers him a smile.

He pretends not to notice, fixating on the drink in his hand.

“There are many different stories about Momotaro… My grandmother told me he was found in a large peach that was floating down a river.” V’s interest is pulled from the view and swaps to Oda. There’s never been mention of his family. Not that she can recall, at least. “An old woman took the peach from the river and brought it home to her husband. When they split it open, they found a boy inside. They had always wanted children, so they took him in and raised him as their own.”

“Okay… Momo-taro. Peach boy. I get it.” She leans back a little, propping herself on her arms while keeping her ankles locked to keep her drink between her knees. “Why is he a hero?”

“Mh. Oni ravaged the land, created chaos and brought grief to humble farmers and workers. So, he set out to fight them and…” He looks from his can towards V, very briefly, and then he looks towards the horizon once again. “The story ends with him battling Oni and returning peace to the land.”

“That’s it? You’re leaving stuff out. Hey--” V unlocks her ankles and her drink drops, slipping from her relaxed knees. She looks down just in time to see it fall into the easy, steady waves beneath her feet. What train of thought she had slips away and her shoulders drop with her mood.

Oda is hiding his grin behind the rim of his can when V looks back to him.

“... Give me yours.”

“What?”

“Your drink. I dropped mine. You should give me yours.”

“No.”

“Fine. I’m docking five points.” As if she’s testing him for another dating assessment.

“This is not an assessment.”

“It wasn’t before. Now it is. You got 95 points out of 100 now. You’ll never get a perfect score at this rate.”

… Well, she had done all the persuading she could think of.

V casts her eyes towards the waters, the can carried off into the waves. It turns and tilts, handled gracefully by the green-blue blanket of water below her feet. V accepts the consequences of her poor actions, and there is no joy left in the world. Absolutely none. Woe is V, listless without her fizzy peach drink. Life ceases to have mea--

A shiny can is held out in her field of view and she looks towards Oda, repressing the surprise.

“Oh. Seriously?” V isn’t sure initially, but Oda extends his offer still. She accepts before he can take it back, and he looks towards the horizon in front of them. In all honesty, V was just joking, but she’s not going to say that out loud and risk losing another taste of that succulent peach soda.

“... Thanks.”

“... Before he leaves home, his mother gifts him with a bundle of dango. They’re what you would call… sweet dumplings.”

“Yeah? I know what those are.”

“Mh… So, on his journey, he encounters a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant. They help him along the way, and he gives them dango for their aid. This is why, when you explore Okayama, you will see statues of monkeys, dogs, pheasants…”

A thought comes to V as she nurses her drink. “You think he’d taste like a peach?”

“What?” Oda is obviously disturbed.

“He came out of a peach, so he’d probably be a tasty snack for those Oni.”

Sandayu radiates silent disapproval, and the former merc quietly enjoys the disgruntled look he adopts. V offers the can back. There was plenty left to share. What is this? A peace offering?

“Here, you can take it back.”

Oda accepted, secretly appreciative. He sips without thought. After a long drive with his jacket on, he finds the cool drink especially refreshing. It’s not particularly hot out, but the days are getting warmer as they get closer to summer.

V continues to stare at him. How long will this Arasaka ordeal last for? Oda won’t be her instructor forever. At some point, he will inevitably be reassigned elsewhere. The thought was kind of sad, but it’s likely a one-sided affair. Where as V could imagine him being a valued friend, she had a feeling he only tolerates her. It’s as if her mere existence is a necessary annoyance that he has to put up with.

Like the annoying laughter of the seagulls, for example. Seriously? The dogs didn’t last but the sea-rats managed to survive?

Sandayu released an audible sigh, “Why are you staring at me?”

Suppose he could see her staring at him. V wasn’t being subtle or sneaky about it, and he can likely observe her through his excellent peripheral vision. She shrugs.

“We kissed.”

“What?” He looks at her with an absolute deadpan expression.

“My lips and your lips were on that can. We kissed, _Oda-kun._ ” He may dislike her. If that’s the case, V sees no harm in bullying and teasing him when she gets the chance. What’s the worst that will happen? He’ll like her even less?

Judging from the look he gives her, he is obviously not amused. Is he disgusted, or did the soda turn stale and sour? She can’t help but start giggling as his face became painfully hot.

“You make it a habit to kiss your students, _sensei?_ ”

Oda prickles before inevitably turning his head away. V recognizes this as an obvious tactic to run and hide. Somehow she finds it so… adorable.

Who would’ve thought someone like him could get so easily flustered by a juvenile notion?

“Hey, what’s wrong? You know, from where I’m sitting, your hair hides nothing. I can see everything.”

“Stop talking…”

His ear is especially exposed. Completely uncovered. It’s right there. V could just lean over and blow into his stupid fuckin’ ear, because it’s right there. It’s just right there. His response would be priceless.

With criminal slyness, V slid over a few more inches. Her prey in question was blissfully unaware of the immediate danger he was in. Not unlike a predatory feline in her natural habitat, V stalks the unsuspecting Oda while his head is turned away. V inhales quietly, deeply, then she puckers her lips before blowing a cold jet of focused air at the shell of his ear. His body reacted immediately with a collective flinch and his head jerked towards his shoulder in an attempt to protect his ear.

“What--V!”

“Your face!” She leans away quickly, self-preservation kicking in. He hasn’t smacked her yet. “It’s so red!” Despite putting herself in a deadly situation, V is laughing. Partly because Oda’s current state is hilarious and adorable. Partly because she is terrified but thrilled at the same time, which seems like a natural response for V when she’s flirting with death.

“... Plus five points.”

“Stupid…” He’s trying to recover. Really, he’s doing his best to save face. His hand comes up to palm and rub his ear, but V’s laughing is still carrying on. Any insult against her would help him feel better. “You sound like the seagulls.” Yet he’s not sure he heard her. She hasn’t stopped laughing, but she’s quieted down to stifled giggles rather than the obnoxious snorting she was making earlier. Thankfully, his color settles to something more neutral by the time she stops.

He didn’t think it was that hilarious. Of course, he’s the victim. He doesn’t think it’s funny at all, but her face is stuck with that horrid grin. V was enjoying it too much, and all at his expense. To the point that her lips were starting to tremble and her ribs were tired.

V looks at him, seemingly ignorant to the subtle threat in his offended glare.

How lucky for V that she managed to record something so candid.

“I don’t wanna go back.” She speaks quietly with a low, sad moan, but for all of her pouting he is not moved or persuaded.

“All the accommodations you have asked for have been given yet you still have the nerve to complain.” He is reaching a limit with her, or so it would seem. Oda tries again to rouse her to her feet, “The longer you stay out, the longer you prolong dinner.”

“Oh, so you’re gonna take me out on another not-date?”

“No--I… I am not taking you out to dinner. V, you should learn to respect boundaries.”

“Yeah but I don’t know what your boundaries are.” She shifts slowly, beginning to stand on the edge of the pier. She’s careful as she steps back, turning towards Sandayu. “Why do you think I tease you all the time?”

He answers with a quiet, dismissive scoff as he begins walking out of the marina. She follows shy a few feet, straggling behind slowly just to better appreciate the view. Yes. The view. That’s exactly what she’s scrolling as she follows him along to the parking lot, and watches his silhouette mount the bike once again.

His helmet is firmly placed on his head, the faint design of what she can only assume to be a red Oni is glaring back at her. Memories from the parade are recalled as he hands V her own helmet. She sets it on, chip still scrolling. V is never sure when to turn it off.

As she lifts a leg over the bike, she takes firm hold of his shoulder so she can climb on back easier.

“You remember that night you almost chopped my nose off with your mantis blades?”

“You mean the night you nearly broke my nose with your gorilla arms?”

“Yeah, that one.” They can hear the smirk in each other’s tone. V carries on, “If someone told you the degenerate, filthy thief from that godless city you hate would be riding bitch on the back of your cool motorbike, would you believe them?” She leans forward and pulls her feet up off the ground, handling his hips carefully as she scoots closer.

Without hesitation, “No.”

Both hands slide forward from his hips and conveniently snake under the riding jacket. As her fingers spread out against his shirt, she takes this opportunity to appreciate the firmness under her palms. Her digits weave together at the center of his stomach and her head turns. Cheek pressed to helmet, helmet pressed to a broad, strong back.

“I suppose there are worse fates.” She can't see his face, but she secretly hopes he smiles when he says that.

They are rolling slowly through the humble town, passing by broken neon signs and the occasional brightly-lit convenience store. There are few stoplights on the way out of town. He let-up on the accelerator and let the bike coast, gradually decreasing his speed as they approach the intersection. There are no other cars on the road, but the sign is fixed on a timer, so they must wait until it switches green again.

Hearing him clear his throat, she lifts her head a little, “I apologize for the way I raised my voice today. It was uncalled for and unprofessional.”

“... Well, since we kissed, I guess I’ll let it go this time.”

“... _baka._ ”

The light switched to green and they embarked from the four-way intersection to their destination.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from the author, I am incredibly shy and don't know how to speak to my commenters, and when people tell me they like my stuff, I get bashful... but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate it, I just don't know what else to say besides ty ;u; Anyway this could've been longer but I feel like it's been too long since I put out a new chapter so here we go--

**V:**  
tonight im all yours

 **Yuki:**  
You promise?  
No lie?  
;) We go dancing? Karaoke? See boys???  
Dance with boys?  
Karaoke with boys  
With boys and girls?

 **V:**  
no karaoke  
slow down u r texting 2 fast

“What are you scheming?”

V briefly looks up from the holo, attention stolen away by cool, crisp optics.

“You really wanna know?”

Perhaps as a sign of trust and good faith, V was given permission to leave the premises on the weekends, and her weekend technically starts when Oda calls off his session. Is it a session or a lesson? The difference is hard for her to make out, but it’s not really important.

Was today longer than usual, or is Oda dragging it all out to delay the inevitable?

He maintains eye contact, trying to pull it out of her.

Again, she presses the question, “... You sure you wanna know?” She tucks the holo into her pocket and picks up her water bottle, coming to her feet.

“Whatever you get into, do not let it get back to the shareholder.”

“This ominous shareholder… Let’s not play around like they don’t have names. Saburo and Hanako Arasaka… It’s gotta be one or the other, right?”

“You forgot Militech.”

“Right… Saburo and Militech resolved whatever bullshit they had going on, so I guess they get a seat at the Arasaka table, too. Guess I better be a good girl for the corporations, huh?”

“... Do not bring Takemura disgrace, V. He will only look out for your best interest for so long.”

“Oh, my best interest. Yeah…” Complicated feelings are brought to the surface, but she doesn’t know how to deal with complicated feelings, so she looks at her holo as a means of distraction.

 **Yuki:**  
Maybe you don’t text back fast enough V

 **V:**  
i text fine

Sandayu is approaching and V instinctively puts her holo away. She has nothing to hide, no, not at all. V is anything but suspicious about who she’s texting, and the matter of which is being discussed.

V elaborates a little more as he comes a little closer, “I got things that I want. Takemura can’t provide it. Arasaka can’t buy it. Gotta get it from somewhere, Oda.” He is some feet shy of her when he stops.

“You think you will find what you’re looking for in the gutters of Okayama?”

“Won’t find it here, that’s for fuckin’ sure.”

“What is it, then?” He seems intent this time around. Before, he had only passing interest in what she might potentially get involved in, the trouble that she gets into. He’s really pushing this time. Forward, direct. His eyes are digging into her.

Icy blue or white?

“I just… get lonely.” There’s a soft heat building in her cheeks and V’s body language speaks defensively; her arms fold across her chest. She stands specifically so her body does not face him directly. Much as she wants to find out once and for all what color his eyes are, she can’t stand to look at him outright. “I, um…” There’s an itch of embarrassment at the back of her neck, prickling her. She can’t help but rub at it.

Then she shakes her head, “It’s stupid.”

“You want a joytoy.”

“--bhghjoytoy--no, no!” Her hand stops rubbing her neck and starts rubbing her face. “Intimacy! Company, I guess!”

“You cannot have Takemura, so you will seek out a s--”

“ **Shut your fucking mouth!** ” Her body language changes, confrontational and forward. V steps closer to Oda, who in kind straightens his shoulders. The former-merc invades his personal space but does not come close enough to touch. It's more of an expression of intimidation than actual violence. “Don’t talk about shit you don’t understand.”

The way she clenches her jaw seems to capitalize on the seriousness of her tone. Her fists are tight but her arms are down. The only thing threatening him are her eyes, daring him to say more. He tilts his head back by a small margin and his lips pinch together. She waits for him to say something awful and cruel but he disappoints her.

“Don’t do anything that will bring him shame… and remember to take your prescribed medicine. It is all I ask of you, V.”

That was… not what she was expecting.

He steps backwards. A retreat. A sign of submission in some cultures. Or he is just choosing his battles. V feels most of the wind is taken from her sails. She watches him as he begins to gather his things and leave.

“If you are in something you cannot get out of… you will call me.” He slips his riding jacket on and looks towards her. He’s waiting for her to confirm. “V, you will call.” It’s a lengthy pause granted back in return. She’s trying to decide how she feels about it. What if it’s-- “Regardless of what time it is… you will call.” This time, it sounds more like a question. He clearly won’t leave until she answers.

V wants to believe he’s telling her this because he cares. He does care… because she’s Arasaka property. V is an investment first, and an object second.

She won’t fool herself into thinking there’s something more here than there really is.

That was the mistake she made with Takemura.

All tension gone, she shrugs, “If I’m at the end of my rope, I’ll think about giving you a buzz.” Doesn’t mean she’ll call’m. “Now get the fuck outta my gym.”

**Transition**

It’s dark by the time V walked through the double doors of the Hebi Den. When she crosses the threshold, she is reminded of the horrible karaoke night she endured below the bar and immediately considers leaving. Someone identifies her before she can think to leave.

“Oh, V-san? It’s been a while.”

Petite and unassuming, the bouncer by the door produces a friendly smile. Her sleeveless vest grants V a full view of the snake tattoo around her upper arm, a recurring theme among nearly every patron that enters this bar. V has only seen a small handful of exceptions.

“Yuki’s waiting for you at the bar. Oh, before you leave… That man who showed up asking for you?” V’s thoughts forget all about the terrible karaoke session, and instead she is reminded of the events that took place before she left.

V was in the middle of getting busy with an output just before she--

“Yeah, what--what about him?”

“Is he your main output or something?”

“... What?” A hot feeling spikes up in her face as she considers the thought. Sandayu Oda, her main output. That would never fucking work-- “Why would you think that?”

“He stuck around the front stoop for you. Seemed really angry that I wouldn’t let him inside.”

“He’s more of a… More like… just some guy who… Mnh, uh…” V is trying to say anything but _babysitter_ and it’s a stretch to call him a friend. She shakes her head a little, thoughts getting jumbled. Their relationship isn’t that complicated, but now the bouncer is probably getting a new impression and V is trying to dispel these notions.

“Oh, he’s… one of those?”

“What does that mean?”

“V-san is a ladykiller? Or, mankiller? No, is it called… maneater?”

“N-no, I’m not.” V’s face is burning too hot. This conversation is taking a huge turn. “No, no--we’re like work associates. It’s all professional.”

“Are you sure? Co-workers don’t usually wait outside the bar like good obedient doggies.”

“Yeah, we’re… co-workers.” V’s face betrays her with a flourish of red. The bouncer carries a smile, a smirk? It advertises her doubt clearly.

“Well, whatever your relationship is with this man, if he comes here again looking for you, do you want me to tell him you aren’t here?” The bouncer proposes a deceptive idea, and V can understand the possible reasons why, but she’s not sure what to say. “Your secrets are safe with us, V-san. A lot of girls come here to get away from problems. In case you haven’t noticed… we don’t have many boys here. Not unless--”

“Thank you, really.” V pushes her hair back and tries to ignore the hot wash of embarrassment that soaks her head. “It’s a case-by-case scenario with him.”

“Hmm… Okay, but normal rules apply. We have a dress code, after all.” From what V understands, they have some appearances to maintain, and Oda was wearing sweatpants. A nice sight to see, she’d admit. Not one you’d see in a bar, though.

“Right, okay… Later.” V tries not to look too stilted and stiff as she retreats from the entryway. V braces the bar counter and looks for a familiar face among the seated patrons.

There are none.

Where is Yuki?

The bartender is walking by just as it occurs to V that her friend, the only reason she’s even here, isn’t here.

“Hey, you seen Yuki anywhere?”

Before the bartender gives proper direction, V can hear herself being called towards the end of the bar.

Oh--V walks around and peers towards the source and that, that… isn’t Yuki.

The woman frantically waving towards V is not Yuki, but she is waving at V, saying V’s name, and V is summoned by this peculiar woman. She’s acting like Yuki and talking like Yuki but--

“Who the fuck’er you?”

V comes to the curve at the end of the bar, properly assessing the girl. Hair is frizzy and dyed a ridiculous red color. Her snake tattoo is not on either arm, but on a thigh, and when she pulls down her shades her optics are even more unusual than V remembers. Not even close to the Yuki she met.

… How drunk did V get when they last met?

“V-chan, did you forget?” She shakes her head a little, tutting and tsking at the former-merc. “I told you… You remember anything from that night?” The soft glow of Yuki’s optics brought about a thought. V is trying to recall what she’s missing and then clarity comes.

“You live through proxy dolls.” The usage of a proxy doll is something V can grasp and understand, but the idea of living through them is… different. V tries to piece together the reason, but it doesn’t make sense. It just sounds weird and voyeuristic.

“Bingo!”

“Yeah, you probably told me but… why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you here by proxy and not in the real?”

“Oh, mm… I… can’t.” The look of Yuki’s face changed. Her demeanor shifted. It was subtle, but something about Yuki’s general presentation was altered. For some reason, V felt like an asshole for broaching the question.

This was out of V’s depth and there is only so much emotional bandwidth one person has, so V isn’t going dig into this mystery right away.

“Hey, no big deal! I’m here now. Did you miss me?”

“Very, yes.” She pats the barstool next to her, urging V to sit with her, “I got a good job for you. Mamushi wants a bike. Special edition! You wanna make some yennies?”

V slides onto the barstool, “Depends on the deets. What’s so special about the bike?”

“GT3 Ekko motorbike. There are only seven produced and one of them is right here in Okayama tonight. I don’t know much about racing bikes, but I bet it’s really fast…”

“Yeah, and hot product like that probably has a preem security system to match.”

“This isn’t V-chan’s first GTA! Smart cookie…”

“And you’re a netrunner…” She has to be, she uses other snake girls as proxy-dolls and takes them for night-outs. “I’ll bet you already thought of something to counter the bike’s security.”

A wide grin spreads across her features, but she conceals her teeth with a hand and tries to turn away, playing-up her bashfulness. “Oh, I don’t know… I mean… Maybe.” She feels along her pockets until she withdraws a small datashard, sliding it across the counter towards V. “I did come up with something… No big deal. Just a bypass for the security.”

“Okay, wanna run me through the procedure for the shard?”

“When you find the bike, insert the shard into your neuro-port before you bother with the ignition. When you’re ready to turn the bike on, make a phone call before you jack into the bike with your datajack. I uploaded the shard with software that, when you call on your holo, the call will hijack the security program. Can’t make outbound signals because _your_ signal is dampening local wireless connections.”

“What happens if the call drops or gets disconnected?”

“Ah. Then you’re screwed, V-chan. So don’t hang up! Or get hung-up on…” Yuki leans towards V marginally, emphasizing something important. “Just make sure your phone call lasts longer than the decryption. You’ll know when it’s done cracking the security program… It will be obvious.”

“Thanks, Yuki.”

“Don’t thank me. I get a cut of the yennies for my contribution.”

“That sounds fair.” Yuki pulled in the job, made up the software on the shard, and that means the only way this job can go sideways is if V fumbles something on her end of this operation.

The former mercenary--...

… Veteran mercenary?

… Returning mercenary?

… V stands up and gets ready to leave, “Where am I going?”

“I’ll flick you the deets on the holo. Careful not to scratch the bike on your way back, V-chan! She’ll knock off yennies if you do…”

**Transition**

But who should she call? What time is it in Night City? Would anyone answer? V doesn’t know what the time difference is between the States and Japan, but she would assume it’s significant enough that no one would answer. It is Night City, after all, and the citizens are mostly alive at night. Go figure.

V had stealthily scaled a wall that wrapped around some privately owned stretch of land. Residential? Looks like it could be, although there's human security detail that's patrolling the area. Wouldn't it be cheaper and more effective to just use security bots and drones? Kerry had the right idea. Security bots were easier to work around. No, wait--Kerry had the wrong idea when it came to security detail.

There’s two nearly-identical holo devices on her person at most times, and it’s worth noting that one has two contacts; Goro Takemura and Sandayu Oda. The other device has everyone else of importance. The software will counter the security measures for as long as the call lasts. Would it be ideal if the signal bounced as far as Night City? Or is it better if the call from the holo is local? She inserts the shard into her recreational holo and starts flipping through contacts.

V clicks on Panam’s name and the holo just rings. It continues ringing until it skips over to voicemail--

“The voice mailbox you’ve tried to reach is currently full. Please try aga--”

V hangs up, silently scolding Pan. Did she not know how to delete voice messages? Or is she like V, and she hoarded the special voice messages until there was no room left? V rubs at her brow as she looks at the other contacts on the list. Judy would never screen her calls, and her box probably isn’t at max capacity.

The holo rings for a while. Just long enough to reach the automated voice. V holds her breath as she contemplates leaving something funny for Judy to listen to later… but in the last several seconds that lead up to the beep, V panics and hangs up. Maybe next time…

All that’s left is Kerry. If Judy isn’t up, Kerry sure as fuck isn’t. It’s far more likely that River is awake, and yet he’s very busy keeping up with Joss and the kids. V swaps out her regular holo phone and looks at the work-holo with a dry stare. There’s no way she’s going to call Goro at this time of night. He’d be suspicious. There’s one person left, although she’d prefer to call anyone else but…

“... Oda?”

“V?”

Oh, he answered. Now he’s on the holo. What’re you going to do now, V?

His voice comes in clear, “... Your first night allowed out in the city and you’ve already gotten into trouble.”

“What--no? No, I… I just wanted to see if you’d answer.” Fucking asshole. He’s an asshole, right? He just assumes she’s in trouble because he told her to call when she was in trouble. She shakes her head, making sure her datajack is secure in the bike’s port. The uplink starts and she passively works around the security buffer.

“I told you I would answer if you called. Do you doubt my word?”

“No. I… wanted to ask you about a bike?”

“Oh? … You have the money to get a bike?”

V clears her throat, trying not to sound awkward. “No. Maybe if I save up a little--hey, what do you think about the GT3 Ekko?”

A snort comes out, “You’d never save enough to afford that. Limited edition.”

“Fair… So if I pulled up on an Ekko at your apartment, what would you do?”

“Ask you how you stole it.”

V was trying desperately not to grin or laugh.

“... Right. So you wouldn’t want to take a ride.”

“You would never pull up on an Ekko.” You wanna fucking bet on that, Oda?

“Just humor me. It’s a hypothetical question.”

“You called me to ask hypothetical questions?”

“Oda… “ Her patience runs thin.

“... I… would not go on a ride with you.”

“What?! Why?”

“You seem like a reckless driver.”

Asshole, undeniably.

“I’m a great driver, okay?” She tries not to reflect on her adventures through Night City or the misadventures with Delamain and his children, for lack of a better word. “You’d be fine. You saying you’d pass? On a bike that you’ll never get to ride? Ever? I mean, only seven or so made?”

“V… Why did you call?”

V feels as if she has to prove herself. She feels possessed by something she can’t define. Her head jerks back as the security of the bike is compromised and she straightens up on the bike, taking the handle bars with a vice-like grip.

If she picked him up at his apartment, assuming he’d willingly join her for a joy ride, he would ask too many questions. He wouldn’t want to ride bitch, either. Or would he? Mamushi is expecting the product to be dropped off at a certain location, so they wouldn’t get to ride around for long. If she picked up Oda, took him to the drop-off, they’d have to walk all the way back or get a cab. That sounds awkward--

“V.”

“It’s like I told you. Just wanted to see if you’d really answer.” The threat of another uncomfortable pause is coming. V doesn’t like the awkward silences. It’s hard on her, more than usual. Primarily because she doesn’t know what he’s doing, if he’s displeased or something else--she can’t read his face. The monitor display is scrambling for a moment before the factory reset is engaged. “What’re you doing with your newfound free-time? You’re probably pleased about having time-off, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, you know… You can do other things with your time now. What do you do with your spare time?”

“I… wh…” There’s a weird noise over the holo she’s not familiar with.

“Sorry, think the audio in my holo lagged or something. What did you say?”

“I watch movies.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Nothing you would be interested in.”

“You don’t know that… Just tell me.”

“... Rashomon.”

“Never heard of it.” V takes a glance at the bike’s little monitor. The prior security settings are wiped away. “What’s it about?”

“Mmh… Four different perspectives of a serious injustice. It is… an observation on justice and truth.”

For some reason, that just sounds so typical of him.

“Huh… uh, well… Was it good? Does it get the Oda seal-of-approval?”

“Mh.” He makes a noise of affirmation. “Timeless and classic.”

The factory reset for the security software is almost complete and V prepares to turn on the ignition, “Guess I have to watch it, then.”

V turns the engine on and the bike comes to life between her legs.

“What was that?” It’s awkward how far forward she has to lean to reach the handles. “Sounds like a motorbike.” Damn, he doesn’t miss any little detail, does he? She tries to adjust to her seating while thinking of something that would dismiss what suspicions he might be having.

“Just someone driving by, no big deal. What’re you doing when you’re not watching movies?” For some reason, V can only imagine Oda staring at the walls in his minimalist apartment.

“Meditation.” Fucking boring, but checks out. “Cooking…” Oh, Oda... Is that technically a hobby? She gingerly drifts forward on the bike, walking awkwardly with this big machine on wheels between her legs.

“You should go dancing.”

“No…” Oh, he hates the idea, but V loves teasing him. When she went out to dinner with him, she tried luring him into her scheme, into reliving a previous date. Not-date. Date assessment. Whatever, she doesn’t know what to call it. At this point, she’s not going to try to further define their established compromise.

“Why not? Afraid you might like it?”

“What makes you think I dislike dancing?”

“When you took me out to eat…” V is careful with the brakes as she approaches a garage door, trying to be quiet as she broaches the topic. “There was soft piano music playing, and--so, you know, I asked you to dance.”

There’s a lengthy pause.

V fears the call disconnected at first, but she inspected her holo and saw the call was still going.

“... That was not a dancing establishment.”

“So? The tables were spaced apart enough. And it’s not like there were a lot of people anyway. S’not like anyone would’ve been pissed if they saw two people slow dancing.”

“You aren’t the type to slow dance.”

“Oh yeah? Takemura seems to think otherwise…”

V can open the garage with her optics, but the noise was going to alert the security guards outside. When it opens up, she’ll have to speed off like a bat out of hell. She plans to do just that. However, she’s a little tangled up at the moment.

She’s wrapped up in this little back-and-forth with an Arasaka lapdog.

“Then why not dance with Takemura if you want to do it so badly?” Something about that just… tilts the conversation into a new route. Something in V’s mind switches, but it was incredibly subtle. So subtle she didn’t notice.

Listless, without thinking, “Thanks, I will.”

V hangs up the holo and she engages in the garage door with her optics. The second-rate security guards outside are alerted to the presences of unauthorized personnel on the premises. She can already hear them shouting among each other before the garage was even half-way. V twists the accelerator and the bike makes a sharp roar, bolting forward with more speed that she was ready to handle.

As V narrowly evades various bullets, a thought crops up from the depths of her genius mind; why didn’t she just call Yuki?

V makes an abrupt turn onto a public road and she minds the curves as she makes her way back towards Okayama. Her shoulders are tense and her chest is tight, and she isn’t sure why. She won’t leave herself any time to consider the reason why, either. V will, however, reach out to Yuki since she’s well on her way back to the inner city.

The holo doesn’t finish the first ring before Yuki picks up--

“V-chan! You get the Ekko?”

“Yeah, headed towards the drop-off now. I got a weird question… You know of any places in the streets where you box for yennies?”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Oda in this one but next chapter :o there will be :U odaodaodaoda

The heavy fist misses V’s face, carrying a nice breeze in its wake. The old reflexes are coming back. Like riding a bike, she never really forgot how to move and evade. She’s light on her feet; reach is shorter but she’s faster and she can take a hard knock, yet… After all this, it feels like she forgot something…

What is she forgetting?

V makes believe that Vik is coaching her from the sidelines. _Keep your fists up, V. Keep your guard up. Don’t stop moving your feet, V. Wait for that opening--_ It’s a lot like dancing as she shuffles her feet around on the gravel and she leans away when the heavy hand goes for her face. She tucks herself inward, ducks low, throws her all into her right hook. The man leans down and doubles over.

He drops to his knees and she steps away quickly. It’s not a knock-out, but he’s not getting up anytime soon. She lowers her fists down, hands on her hips as she walks away and the spectators around her seem to share the same idea; he’s not getting back up.

“V-chan, you don’t hold back…” A woman observes from behind a chain-link fence, leaning into the patterns with her fingers weaving into it. V approaches, assessing her for a moment. A new proxy doll, but she sports the same snake tattoo they all do. Leaning against the fence, V speaks quietly but casually.

“Why should I? They don’t…” She lowers her voice a little as a pair of bruised men walk through the gate of the fence-wall, skirting around Yuki. A pair of wounded fighters, sore losers.

“Dirty gaijin…” One of them said under their breath.

V rolls her head on her shoulders, trying to ease the rush of fire that spikes up in her belly. Gonna pretend she didn’t hear that. This is all for the yennies anyway.

Yuki hears what was said, the cheerful disposition lessens marginally and she looks towards the merc through the links of the fence. A little smirk appears. “... Aim for their mouths next time.”

V grins back, moving away from the fence and walking around through the gate.

The fence is relatively high, but doesn’t go all the way up to the underside of the bridge; They’re underneath something of a curved underpass in the Naka Ward. South, as far down as possible. The bay is just a short walk from where they are. Many cars are parked in such a way that it lights up the space underneath the ramp, otherwise it would be too dark to fight properly.

The locals gather here to place bets, and she’s familiar with taking a beating for money. Naturally, V inevitably came here. She can’t stay away from what’s familiar, and her veins have been on fire since last night. She’s eager to take it all out on strangers and get paid for it.

“You good, V?”

“Yeah? I mean--of course. Why?”

“Hmmmm… The proxy doll shakes her head a little, looking thoughtful. “Is V short for… violent?”

A little laugh comes out. Something about her is endearing, V can’t explain it. “Sometimes, it’s short for violent.” She can’t help it. She’s been craving it. What seems like a joke may actually in fact be the truth. Is that why it’s so funny? Because it’s true?

V is short for volatile.

“Are you thinking of anyone in particular when you’re in there?”

“Maybe.” There’s a couple people that come to mind, but also-- “I don’t wanna talk about it. What’re you doin’ here? Doubt you came for a show.”

Yuki briefly looks towards a nearby group of men, varying in features but most lacking shirts. She shakes her head a little, “Oh, I like a good show. Mhm. Very good shows here, very.” She looks back towards V, returning to the matter at hand. “You keep knocking them out, Guts will hear about you.”

“Who the fuck is Guts?” And how much will she get for smearing his face in the dirt? Already, V can feel her shoulders tensing.

“Big boy. Beat’m up boy. Can’t-hold-him-back boy.” She carries a smile that almost seems… suggestive? “I hear his biceps are as big as his head.” V is intrigued. Not because she’s interested in a man who has muscles the size of melons--she’s fought with Animals, so that shit doesn’t impress her anymore.

Yuki passively mentions a rumor, “I hear he flatlined the last one.”

“I’d fight’m.” V looks absolutely serious. The proxy doll in front of her smiles, stifling her giggles outright. Then she shakes her head. V argues with the disbelief. “I’ve died twice already… I’m not scared.” The humor stares back at her. Yuki’s humor starts to slip away slowly as she registers the dead-serious expression on the mercenary’s face. She leans away from the fence and looks concerned for the foreigner.

“That’s not a funny joke, V-chan.”

V leans in a little, “It’s the truth.”

There’s an uncomfortable air coming from the proxy doll in front of her. V remains unflinching. Nothing about V suggests that she’s jesting. The weight of the moment hangs between them. Then the tension breaks--Yuki gently punches V’s shoulder.

“Stop trying to scare me! Waaah, you’re so dark. What’s gotten into you?! Someone piss you off?”

V drops her serious edge a little, “Yeah, I guess. I just…” She leans away from the fence and pushes her hands against her face, bringing them up to thread her fingers through her hair to soothe the tension she wears. “I just wanna… I feel like,” V turns and begins pacing.

When has she ever been someone to pace around?

“Fuck! I wanna…” Her hands open and clench repeatedly, “I wanna put a bullet through the head of every panda that wouldn’t fuck to save it’s own species. I wanna… find the Mona Lisa and rip the painting to shreds! I want to find a pretty boy and knock his teeth out.”

“... Ah, V-chan? It’s forward to ask but…” She takes V by the upper arm and stops her from pacing back and forth. “... when’s the last time you got laid?”

V looks to Yuki, mouth hanging open from shock. She tries to recover, giving a fake little laugh. Then she shakes her head as she tries to remember the last time she really got to roll around in the sheets. The realization comes abruptly. It was before she died… again… Er, the second time. It was before she took on Arasaka guards on behalf of Hanako.

A follow-up realization; this is a new body and V hasn’t properly--

She hasn’t, uh--

“... Fuck.”

“Maybe that’s your problem, ne?”

V feels hot in the face, embarrassed with the possibility that she might be, in some fucked up way, a born-again-virgin. Is that the problem right now? Is she so wound up that she needs a rough and thorough--

“Fuck, dammit…” Her face won’t cool down. Or maybe she was already hot and sweaty from throwing fists this whole time. She really would like a--

“Take me shopping, V-chan.” Yuki, now is hardly the time. You’re giving V whiplash.

“I don’t feel like shopping. Besides, look at me! I’m all sweaty.”

“That’s okay. You got yennies? They don’t care how you look where I take you.” V sees the woman wink and only feels suspicious. Yuki steals V’s wrist and starts pulling, dragging the taller woman along. Much to V’s dislike, she’s being lured away. They’re given looks as they depart from the underside of the ramp, and Yuki sets them on a path towards a more illuminated district.

**Transition**

“How does this look?” Yuki stands in front of V with a dress on. It’s black with bright pink lines that are designed specifically to accentuate the female form. Hips and thighs are capitalized, with lines pulled closer towards the waist. Arguably sexy, flattering, and it’d be great for formal and party settings. To V, though--

“Yeah, looks good.”

“You said that about the last two dresses I tried on!” Yuki pouts obviously and turns away from V as she starts to undress.

They’re occupying a little dressing room. V thinks nothing of the body in front of her that strips. Yuki thinks little of another woman that can see her bare it all.

… It is weird to V, though. Yuki is operating a proxy doll. Why does it matter what she puts on, when she’s not really wearing it?

Maybe it’s part of a lifestyle that V just isn’t hip with. She doesn’t want to be ignorant, but asking for enlightenment on the matter might make her look stupid at this point… If the proxy doll gets new dresses out of it, and Yuki enjoys the experience, should V really waste energy thinking into it? Should she just let it go?

Yuki also dates people, otherwise she wouldn’t tell V to beat up on an ex-boyfriend.

“Guess this’ll do…” Yuki pulls up her skirt and the netted shirt gets put on next. She pushes dresses into V’s arms and starts putting on the heels she wore on her way in. V finds herself playing the part of a stand-in boyfriend as they take Yuki’s clothes to the check-out and return to the streets, headed North in the Naka Ward.

They’re walking along a narrow street painted in neon lights and V hasn’t given though into asking where they’re going or how long they’re walking. She just walks with a shopping tote in hand, the bag occasionally knocking against her leg. This was just a shopping splurge for Yuki. V didn’t even get any clothes out of this whole ordeal.

Wonder if the boys are still knocking eachother stupid under the ramp down South.

“Hey…” Yuki gently pulls V away from her thoughts, gently coming to a stop along the narrow, vibrant street.

“What?”

“Over there… You see him?” Yuki gently jerks her chin towards an alleyway off to the side, a little further up their path. “Joytoy, joyboy. You like a good boy, V-chan?”

There’s two types of muscle; show-muscle and labor-muscle. Body builders can collapse and crumble against an opponent who works-out for strength instead of appearance. The joytoy Yuki is referring to looks like he has lean meat, and his hair has a playful style, an unnatural color. His shirt hides nothing, his torso on display in the translucent material. The shorts--they’re too short, to simply say.

He’s dressed for a role and he’s shameless about it, but casual in his body language.

“I don’t know.” V resumes, walking forward, carrying Yuki’s shopping luggage. Dainty thin fingers pull the shopping bag from her hand and Yuki leans over, a hand against V’s upper back.

“Take him for a ride. I’ll pay for it V-chan~”

V.exe has stopped working.

The merc stops again. She stares at the joytoy, observing him as he leans casually against the corner of his alleyway. Uh, well--it might help or… would it? Would it help?

“You don’t have to do anything. Just go and see if you want it. He won’t make you stay if you leave…” Yeah, that’s usually how joytoys work. “Do you want me to wait outside for you, V-chan?”

**Transition**

“Do you want to shower first?”

“What?” V furrows her brow, looking confused by the offer.

“You know,” he gestures towards the cylinder-style shower with opaque glass, “you can shower first, if you’re that kind of person.”

“... I’m a dirty gaijin, so enlighten me to your ways, will ya?”

He chuckles and gently sits down at the edge of the motel bed. Gesturing towards the shower, “It’s common practice here to shower before the intimate events occur… We’re very hygienic, you see. A helpful tip for you, _gaijin_ , if you are invited to a friend’s place and they offer you to use the shower…”

V nods slowly, “Ohh… Right. Okay.”

“You also smell like dried sweat, so I thought I’d offer.”

Hot embarrassment strikes her suddenly, “Oh… Is it bad?”

He leans back a little, resting on his elbows. “Not at all. You’re fit and strong,” he brings up his arm and mocks a bicep flex, “your sweat smells healthy. If you were out of shape and ate poorly, it would smell horrid… Then I would insist on a shower.”

He’s smiling and seems jovial. V doesn’t see the point in being so friendly. He’s chummy for money, so why should she play along.

“I’m as clean as you’ll ever get.” Yeah, because she’s a fucking virgin again. “That’s not an overstatement. So let’s cut to the chase.” V reaches towards her sleeve and threads her arm in, pulling the shirt over her head with a smooth movement and dropping it off to the side.

The joytoy, who gave a name but she didn’t care to remember, leans back further and pats his thighs, inviting her to take a seat.

V approaches the edge of the bed and follows through, hoisting over his thighs to sit on his lap. She bends down to kiss him and feels next to nothing. It’s just friction against her lips as she flattens him outright against the mattress. She tries to taste him. Her hand takes his jaw gently. Her thumb caresses between his jaw and cheekbone, feeling for the depression in the flesh before wedging her thumb. She forced his mouth open. She tastes him, more forward than she would be if it were anyone she knew by first name.

He gasps under her, tasting the tongue that broaches his barrier. Her hand flattens against his stomach and rides up under his transparent shirt, fingers spreading out to maximize her claim to his fleshy landscape. She feels him inhale, his chest is rising under her hand.

Suddenly, the world spins. She’s put on her back, staring upwards at a stranger. Her lips are wet and she takes hold of his shoulders. V notices that the ceiling is made up of tiled mirrors.

“Forceful, aren’t you? I never get enough of your kind…”

He leans down and kisses at the corner of her jaw, towards her ear. She braces his shoulders, hands sliding towards his back as his tongue finds her lobe. V’s legs pull up and her heels draw towards his lower back. She sees the mirror on the ceiling over his shoulder. Her reflection is staring back at her. She’s looking at her own face.

Johnny.

Suddenly she’s cold and her body makes a collective jerk.

The joytoy is shoved off to the side and she sits up quickly.

“What--” He looks at the foreigner, bewildered and half-erect, judging by the pitch in his shorts. V is rubbing her neck and ear, pale and sickly. A strong hand reaches over to touch her arm and V immediately recoils, standing up and bending down to get her shirt off the floor.

“I--hey… Hey, what’s the deal?” The merc ignores him as she puts her shirt back on and finds the door.

V couldn’t get out fast enough.

She makes her way down the hallway, stride fast and wide as she tries to ignore what she saw in the mirror on the ceiling. A sickness builds in her belly as she enters an elevator and jabs her thumb against the touch-pad, tapping for the ground floor. Panic is in her chest as she tries to block out what she saw.

… Ffhfuck, she can’t breathe.

The doors open and she hustles across the lobby floor, running for the double doors. She breaks into the narrow street and suddenly breathes in, feeling as if she broke free for a moment. V tries to collect herself when she feels a hand touch her elbow--she flinches immediately.

“V-chan,” Yuki’s voice changes on the proxy doll, but the voice pattern is constant, “are you alright?”

V whips around to look at a face that’s not familiar, but recognizes the glow in the optics. Her heart is pounding so loud she can hear it in her own ears. Feels like her heart is hammering between her burning lungs. She swallows, wetting her dry throat.

“V? What did he do?”

V’s fingers are numb and trembling.

“... I gotta go.”

Before Yuki can interrogate her further, V makes haste and starts trotting off at a fast pace, leaving her friend behind in the mild crowd of passerbyers in the process.


End file.
